Coup d'Etat
by invisibledarkness13xx
Summary: Hexwood-a school that accepts only the best. Even Dumbledore could not get in. So when Bandit Morvant manages to graduate early, it is a surprise that she decides to continue her education at Hogwarts, but she is not all that she seems.OC;Au;FWxOCxGW
1. Chapter 1

_A/N So anyways…this story will contain Golden Trio bashing, making Snape look like the good guy, and we will assure you that the Dark Lord will not die. Viva la Voldemort! _

Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable characters and/or settings; those belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. Only OCs, Hexwood, and plot belong to me. This is going to be the only disclaimer for the whole story, get over it.

One

I groaned and clutched my throbbing head. Something was obviously wrong with the wall at Kings Cross station. All I wanted to do was get into Platform Nine and Three-quarters, but no, all these Hogwarts people had to make it more difficult than it need be and invoke a secret passageway.

Hexwood International wasn't nearly as inconvenient.

And of course, Cousin Draco had left me to go on with his little posse. Some great family member he was turning out to be.

I stood up and ignored the stares of the muggles around me. Who cared what the general public thought? They didn't understand and they didn't need to. They were perfectly fine living on in ignorance.

I gritted my teeth and looked at the brick wall again. It was solid as ever. Why wasn't this working? If I could just apparate into Hogwarts it would be so much easier, but no, they had to be all fancy and have protective spells up around the place.

"Come on, don't spend too much time amongst the muggles!" a woman said to her child as they passed the small crowd.

Well, that was promising-sounding.

I watched them as they nonchalantly disappeared through the brick wall between platforms Nine and Ten and looked up. I was at the wall between Eight and Nine.

I smacked my forehead and swore at myself for being such and idiot. Draco was going to pay for leaving me like that.

I gathered my bags and dragged them to the other wall. I just walked straight through, not really caring if the muggles saw or not. It would give them something to think about for a while if they did.

Suddenly, there before me was the elegant red _Hogwarts Express_. People ran about, saying their goodbyes at the last minute. I watched as four red-headed siblings boarded, one after another. Behind them was the infamous Harry Potter, his black hair and green eyes unmistakable. I didn't need to see his scar to know that it was him.

The whistle blew and the train doors started slowly shutting. I picked up my bags and ran, my heart pounding. It would be such a hassle to get alternate transportation if I missed this train.

I jumped on at the last second, just before the doors closed for good. Looking around, I realized that the place was packed. There wouldn't be any free compartments whatsoever.

I just sighed and started walking along until I found a compartment with only one person in it. I sat down across from a blonde-haired girl with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Sorry," I apologized. "There wasn't any other room."

"No, it's fine," she sat happily. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

I gasped silently. Lovegood? As in the _Quibbler_? I had been a subscriber to the magazine for years!

"I'm Bandit Morvant," I blurted out. "I read ever edition of the _Quibbler_."

"Really?" she lowered her voice. "You haven't seen any nargles lately, have you?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. Have you?"

"No. I have this special charm to ward them off." She held up a pendant hanging from a string around her neck.

This Luna Lovegood was a very intriguing person—I could tell that she was going to be one of my best friends this year.

"I'm transferring from Hexwood International," I said.

"Are you really? I've always wanted to see Hexwood. Is it really right next to Azkaban prison?"

"Of course," I nodded.

"Amazing…and is it true that to be admitted you must be at least at Auror power-level? Even Albus Dumbledore didn't make it past the entry exams."

"That's right," I said.

"I've always wanted to see Hexwood, after my mum told me about it when I was seven. She died when I was nine."

"Really?" Luna seemed so happy and content with everything around her, yet she had lost her mother? It didn't make any sense. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's okay. I still have my dad." She smiled. "So tell me…have you seen any crumple-horned snorkacks lately?"

Luna and I talked for the entire trip about nargles, crumple-horned snorkacks, Hogwarts, The Ministry of Magic, and Hexwood. She was amazingly perceptive about everything I said; whether she actually understood my incoherent chattering or not was another question altogether, but she at least acted like she was taking it all in.

When the train slid to a stop, I stood and sighed. I was going to have to go in and be sorted with the First Years, despite my Fifth-Year status and the fact that I was elite when it came to magic. Yes, I do have a nasty habit of running into walls and such, but that doesn't change that I was trained at Hexwood International.

As I got off the train after Luna, I spotted the familiar blonde hair of none other than Draco. He was going to pay for leaving me like that.

I stormed after him and grabbed the collar of his robes, spinning him around to face me.

"Hi, cousin Malfoy. You didn't happen to forget about me, did you?" I asked, standing on my toes so I could talk face-to-face with him.

"Bandit, how could I forget you?" he asked. He smirked that annoyingly famous smirk. "But I see you made it here on your own without delay."

I narrowed my eyes. "Watch your back, Draco Malfoy. You forget that I went to Hexwood. And _don't _think that just because you're a whiny family member I'll take pity on you. I _can _hurt you. You're only a month older than--"

"Hey, don't you have a traditional lake-crossing to attend?" he interrupted.

`"I--"

"Well, go on. I'll see you inside. There's always room for you at the Slytherin table."

Before I could protest, he had turned and melted into the crowd after his body guards, Crabbe and Goyle.

When I got my hands on that guy….

"Firs' Years, this way!" I turned and saw a giant of a man holding a lantern, walking around shouting. The little First Years followed him but flinched and cringed in fear. The poor little creatures. They wouldn't last a minute at Hexwood.

I sighed and joined the small crowd that had gathered behind him. They looked up at me weirdly and I shifted my weight awkwardly. Why did I have to go through this?

"Aren't you a little old to be sorted?" a kid next to me asked.

"Just don't say anything," I gritted my teeth. "I'd really rather not talk about it."

"Okay, but I was just wondering…."

"I know. It's okay."

"Firs' Years—is that all o' you?" the man stopped and turned to look at us. I crossed my arms. "Oh, yer Bandit, aren't you?"

"Yeah," I said, looking up at him.

"Right then! Everybody, this way!"

I just followed silently and hoped that Malfoy wasn't watching and laughing, for his sake.

I climbed into a rowboat with a couple other kids and just sat in the back, unmoving, with my head down. As beautiful as Hogwarts and the lake were, I didn't want to be subject to this kind of ridicule. There was nothing wrong with First Years, but I knew what kind of world I lived in. People were going to be making fun of me, I could tell.

I survived long enough to get out of the boat and enter the castle at the back of the little crowd. I felt too big. Like I could accidentally crush them or at least trip myself.

We walked up a set of stairs to where a woman in green robes was waiting. She reminded me of a cat, with the way she watched us.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "In a few moments, you will walk through these doors and join you classmates, but before that can happen, you must be sorted into your houses. There are four houses to choose from: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here, your house is like your family. Good deeds will give you points, while any rule breaking will lose you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins."

Slytherin. All. The. Way.

"I believe they are ready for you now," she turned and led the way through the doors and before me stood a huge hall, filled with young witches and wizards, all of them watching us.

No, watching _me_.

I took a deep breath and walked with my head held high. I knew I was more powerful than everyone in this room. They were honored by my presence.

Wow, I was getting snooty. Was it just because I was nervous, or was I descending to whiny-Draco level? I made a mental note to get myself out of this habit.

We gathered in front of a hat sitting on a chair. It looked ancient, and it probably was. For all I knew, it was as old as the school itself.

The cat-woman held up a scroll of parchment and started reading off names. I didn't pay attention as the First-Years were sorted; instead, I looked up at the interestingly-enchanted ceiling. It looked just the sky outside. Huh. Why would they go to all that trouble? This was a school, not a hotel.

"Bandit Morvant," she called.

I turned and walked up to the chair. She placed the hat on my head and I could feel it thinking.

"Hm…smart, yes, and with a reputation like yours you'd do good with your cousins, wouldn't you? Yes, yes…strong, cunning, zealous, yet occasionally vengeful and hotheaded…Slytherin!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. I didn't have to deal with being a family disappointment now that I was in Slytherin. Then again, how could I possibly be a disappointment? I had gone to Hexwood, of all places.

I located dear Cousin Draco and sat next to him. I was going to torture him for at least the rest of the week.

"Enjoy it?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you very much." I said. I could see people from the other side of the room turning to look at me curiously. What did I ever do to deserve this?

After a few more students, the sorting was over and Albus Dumbledore began his speech.

"Now, this year, we have a special guest—Bandit Morvant. She had transferred to our beloved Hogwarts from Hexwood International, a most revered school located conveniently next to Azkaban Prison. Please, let's give her a warm welcome!"

The room filled with applause and even more people turned and craned their necks to look at me. I never was one that sought out extra attention. A bit was fine here and there, but I had my limits.

"Now, we have two changes in staff this year. Professor Grubbly-Plank has returned to teach Care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave."

Hagrid…wasn't he the one that had led us here on the boats? Strange that he wasn't teaching…oh well. It wasn't like it would greatly affect me.

"And please welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge."

I craned my neck to see the teachers and snorted when I spotted my lovely second cousin Severus Snape, in his swooshing black robes, sitting next to a short, toad-like woman dressed all in pink. What a picture that was.

She made a sound that seemed halfway between a giggle and a cough and stood up while Dumbledore fell silent. She walked in front of him and looked at everyone.

"Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." She said. "And how lovely to see all of your bright, happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."

"That's likely," I heard a few people in the center of the room mutter.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged."

People all around began muttering amongst themselves. Who was this lady, exactly? She was acting like a dictator. A very disturbing, extremely pink dictator. I didn't like her one bit.

"Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." She giggled and returned to her seat.

She was so fake. It was all a stupid façade to attempt to make us trust her so that in the end she could take over and make our lives miserable. _This _was the kind of school I was coming to? If only my old teachers could see this…they would gag.

"Thank you, Professor," Dumbledore said. I could tell he had been disturbed. "Now then, let the feast begin!"

The empty plates in front of me filled with food and people began stuffing themselves with it. I tentatively picked up a drumstick and sniffed it. Well, it didn't smell like poison…and one would think that with Sev as my cousin I would be able to sniff out poisons.

I bit into it and found that it seemed edible enough. Nothing at all like the food at Hexwood, but it was still satisfactory.

"So, dear cousin," I said to Draco, "any thoughts on the scary toad-lady?"

He shrugged as he bit into a slice of ham. "She's from the Ministry."

"I can tell that," I rolled my eyes.

"From what I hear, Fudge sent her in," the guy across from me said. "Marcus Flint, captain of the Slytherin quidditch team."

"Uh…hi," I said. "I'm Bandit…you have quidditch here?"

I always played quidditch back at Hexwood. We boasted some of the best teams. Seeing as we trained over the rough waters around Azkaban, dodging Dementors while fighting hurricane-force winds, and that we had our own broom maker right there, it was pretty obvious that we would be good.

"Of course. We have a few openings on the team, if you're interested. Come around next Monday for tryouts."

"Maybe I will," I said thoughtfully. "Maybe…."

Lucky for me, Draco didn't abandon me on the way to the Slytherin common room, which I had no idea how to get to. Not that I would let him out of my sight for the next few days.

I followed him down through the dungeons to a blank wall where he stopped. He somehow managed to find a hidden door and part of the wall swung open, revealing the dark green common room.

It was…cozy in its own serpent-y way. Next to the fireplace there were a few chairs and a couch, all emerald green in color. Everything about it made you think of green fire and snakes.

"Girls' dormitory is over there," he said, pointing to a door.

"Gee, thanks." I said sarcastically. I turned and walked through the door to find myself in a room filled with canopy beds, dark green curtains covering them. I discovered my bags sitting at the foot of a bed next to an enchanted window that showed the view over the lake, despite the fact that I was positively certain I was underground at the moment.

I sat on the bed and sighed. It was bad enough that I had to be new at the school, but now I also had to deal with some kind of insane pink toad-lady from the Ministry? Not exactly what I had in mind when I decided to come here.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

I cracked an eye open and saw that everyone else was already up and about. How long had I slept in for? I felt unusually rested…Hexwood made us get up a lot earlier than this. Despite the fact that I was not in the least a morning person, I had always been scared out of sleeping too late at Hexwood from the stories that circulated around the school. They say that if you sleep in, the Dark Arts teacher will bring in a hoard of Dementors and they'll suck the life out of you until you wake up.

I'm not sure if it's true or not, but that's what I've heard.

But here, things seemed much more…relaxed. Weren't they afraid of the evident Death Eater attack that could happen to them at any moment?

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. This was going to be an interesting year.

I got up and changed into my school uniform. I looked in the small mirror on my bedside table and frowned at my hair. It was boring…just plain black. It needed something to perk it up. How about green and silver? As far as house colors went, those weren't bad.

I watched as a silver line spread through my hair, followed closely by an emerald green one. The color splashed down chunks of hair, leaving streaks here and there until I was satisfied and it ended. Being a Shifter really was helpful.

I picked up my bag and walked out to the common room where I found Draco standing with Crabbe and Goyle, all superior-like. Idiots.

A girl drifted over to them, joined the posse, and glared at me. Wow. She had guts, whoever she was.

"So you're the new girl?" she asked, looking me over. "Aren't you supposed to be all-powerful or something? You don't look like it. I've seen tougher house-elves."

I would have laughed had I not been being watched by everyone in the common room.

"And, you are?" I asked, mocking her stance, hands on my hips.

I noticed Draco edging out of the scene, probably thinking that if a fight erupted I would conveniently and "accidentally" stun him or something. As funny as that would be, I wouldn't waste my energy.

"Pansy Parkinson," she said. "Pleased to make you acquaintance."

Ooh, her sarcasm was terrifying. I rolled my eyes. "Now, really, is that any way to insult someone? House-elves and slight sarcasm?"

"As if it matters to you," she scoffed. "I bet you're just bluffing. You're probably not that powerful at all."

"Oh, is that what you think? I'm impressed, Pansy. Your brain can actually function."

"Mudblood-lover!"

"Crackhead."

"Blood-traitor!"

"Really, is that all you can come up with?" I asked.

"Like you've done any better," she turned her little pug-nose up in the air. "I can't believe you're related to Draco."

She turned to him and batted her eyelashes. He just looked away, obviously trying to stay out of it. Smart guy.

"He won't help you," I said, smiling slightly. It was obvious, wasn't it? I bet even Crabbe knew that. "Blood is thicker than water."

She looked at me, her eyes full of rage. It was funny really. "He won't help you, either."

"How has this turned into an argument about Draco?" I asked. "Have we really gotten _that _off-topic? Huh."

"Fine then; your level of attractiveness is about as high as a ferret's."

I noticed Draco become slightly paler.

"What's wrong with ferrets?" I asked. "You're losing this argument, Pansy."

She screeched/snarled and whipped her wand out of her sleeve. "Stupef--"

"Expelliarmus," I took one of my own wands out of my robe and flicked it toward her.

Her wand flew out of her hand and she just stared at the place it had been half a second before. Really, she was that amazed? It was possibly the easiest trick out there.

"Now, really Pansy, don't tell me they never taught you the basics of dueling," I said. "You should have learned years ago."

She just grumbled something and turned to retrieve her wand. I wanted the fighting to continue, I really did, but I felt someone's hands on my shoulders, pushing me out the door.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Draco said as he pushed me down the corridor.

"Why? Because you don't want me to beat up your _girlfriend_?" I asked.

"No," he said. "Because I don't want Snape to come and see that you're dueling in the middle of the common room."

"Since when do you care so much?" he was just such a killjoy.

"Since my father told me to make sure you don't destroy anything major."

"Daddy's Boy," I sneered.

"Shut up."

We entered the Great Hall and I saw that breakfast was being served. Sausage…bacon…delicious. I practically sprinted to the Slytherin table and started eating. Hexwood rarely served bacon.

As I began eating ravenously, Draco sat next to me and didn't touch the food.

"What's wrong with you? Aren't you going to eat?" I asked, holding out a strip of bacon to him.

He took it and looked at it. "Bacon?"

"Yes, bacon, now eat it, weirdo!"

He nibbled at it and continued to do so while I surveyed the hall. I saw a trio walk in and sit at the Gryffindor table. I only recognized Harry Potter; the other two were a mystery. They looked intriguing.

I nudged Draco. "Who are they?"

He followed my gaze. "The Golden Trio? Potter, Granger, and Weasley."

"Okay," I said. "Names don't help me any. Care to be of more assistance?"

"Harry Potter, you know? The Boy Who Lived?"

I shrugged. "Heard the name before. I saw him on the train yesterday and knew him by description. Who was it that was talking about him? Someone at Hexwood…no, at Azkaban…." I racked my brain. I had talked to so many prisoners I was starting to forget who said what.

I eventually gave up and turned back to watching people come and go. I saw a pair of red-haired Gryffindor twins sit down and continued to watch them. Identical twins? Nice.

They both looked at me and I held my gaze, still eating the bacon. They didn't act like the other Gryffindors at all. Instead, they seemed more like utter pranksters if anything.

"Hey, Draco," I elbowed him and he groaned.

"Yes?"

"Who are they?"

"The Weasley twins. Fred and George. Biggest pranksters the school has ever seen."

I just nodded and looked back at them. They were still watching me. One turned to the other and whispered something. They then proceeded to have an all-out conversation, one of them always watching me, the other whispering to the one watching.

After several minutes of this, I grew bored and looked up. A flurry of owls flew in from the upper windows and dropped mail down to its recipients. An eagle owl landed on the table in front of Draco and he untied a newspaper from its leg.

He opened it and started reading while I leaned back and read over his shoulder.

"'The Boy Who Lies?' Is there something I missed here?" I asked, reading the headline of an article.

"Potter claims to have seen the Dark Lord last year," he said, smirking. "Fudge is attempting to deny it all out of fear. And so, seeing as he ultimately controls the paper, he makes sure only what he wants is printed."

"Uh huh. Why is it that I'm just now realizing how isolated Hexwood is?" I asked. It was true; the only news we received from the outside world came in letters from family members. The rest of the time we spent training.

He just shrugged and continued reading. I took another few bites of bacon before standing up.

"I'm gonna go ahead and find the potions room," I said.

"Sounds good. Hey, when the Gryffindors get there, why don't you pick another fight?"

"We'll see."  
I picked up my bag and strode out into the corridor. Let's see…where was the potions classroom? That was the real question here. All I knew was that it was somewhere in the dungeons. What a help that was.

I wandered down stairways until I was sure there wasn't anyone else around. I closed my eyes and thought about a dog, thought I _was _a dog, and when I opened them again, I was on four legs. So very helpful to have been born with this rare ability to morph into whatever I wanted to.

I sniffed the air and found the distinct smell of potions ingredients. Picking up my bag with my mouth, I set off after the smell. I trotted past old suits of armor and countless statues until the smell was so strong and hazy it made my eyes water.

I stopped in front of the door it seemed to be coming from and shifted back to my human form. I straightened my robes and swung my bag onto my shoulder before opening the door.

And there, at the other end of the room, stood dear old second-cousin Snape.

He turned when he heard me coming in. "Hello, Bandit. Early, as I expected."

"Hi Sev," I said cheerfully.

He sighed. "Bandit, while we're at school, you are to call me 'Professor' or 'Sir'."

"Right. Okay, Sev." I just couldn't _not _call him Sev. It was his name. It's what I had been calling him for as long as I knew him, which was basically my entire life.

He just sighed heavily. "So you're here to become my apprentice, are you?"

"Yeah. I graduated early from Hexwood and they said that I needed to become someone's apprentice, so I decided to become a Potions Mistress."

"Ours is a delicate art, Bandit. You have the natural talent that is needed to excel, but are you willing to work to achieve greater things?"

"Yes. Of course. I went to Hexwood."

"I know."

Behind me, the door opened and in came Draco and his posse. Really, it was sad how much he depended on them.

"Morvant," Pansy spat as she passed me.

"Parkinson."

"Blood-traitor!"

"Really, is that all you can come up with?" I asked.

"Both of you, cease your arguing now or I will personally see to it that your mouths are sealed forever and eternity!" Sev snapped.

"Yes, Professor," Pansy said, quite the suck-up.

I grumbled a few unintelligent words and sat next to Draco. Pansy took his other side. He put his head on the table and let out a heavy sigh.

"Why me?" he mumbled.

The door opened and people continued to come in, Gryffindors and Slytherins alike, until I noticed everyone but the Golden Trio was here. How lovely would it be if they were late?

I looked up at the old clock and watched the seconds tick by. They had three before they were officially late.

Three.

Still nothing. The door didn't move.

Two.

There was only silence.

One.

I held my breath, waiting for them to walk in.

Negative one.

They were still absent.

Negative two.

Suddenly, the door opened, and they walked in.

"Late," I said. "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

The girl stared at me. "Who are you to deduct points? Only teachers can--"

"It's true though," Sev said. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. Take your seats."

"Professor, that's hardly--"

"Another five points for talking back, Miss Granger."

"How do you--"

"Another five, thanks to Mr. Weasley. If I were you, I'd sit down and shut my mouth."

All three glared at me and sat in the back of the room. Well, I had just wanted to see their reactions, and I got my answer: they hated my guts now.

"Today you will be preparing a simple Mandrake Draught. I hope none of you have forgotten how. Ingredients are waiting for you."

People got up to collect ingredients and I just sighed. Mandrake Draught? Really? That was all we were supposed to be making?

I had it finished in only minutes and walked up to Sev. Before I could even say anything, he started ordering me around.

"If you really are that bored, seeing as I trust your Mandrake Draught is perfect, then prepare some Draught of Living Death. After you get bored with that, move on to Draught of Peace. And after that, start on some Veritaserum for me."

I just nodded and squeezed past people still collecting ingredients. I dug through Sev's private stores until I found asphodel in an infusion of wormwood, valerian roots, and sopophorous beans.

The process was simple enough; crush the beans with the flat side of a silver dagger, add the ingredients together, stir counter-clockwise seven times, then add a clockwise stir and continue on like that while it releases blue steam, eventually turns deep purple, then lightens to lilac and then goes clear.

So easy, a house-elf could do it.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked.

"Making Draught of Living Death," I said as I filled several vials with it. "Want to try some?"

"I'd really rather not,"

"Oh, you're no fun."

With a flick of my wand, the cauldron was completely clean again. Yay. Now time for the Draught of Peace.

"Draco, go fetch me some powdered moonstone and hellebore syrup," I ordered.

"Why should I?"

"Because I said so. And didn't old Lucius say that I shouldn't destroy anything? What would happen if I just…accidentally brought part of a ceiling down? Would he be mad at you?"

He narrowed his eyes and stood up. Without another word, he got me the ingredients and sat down again.

"Thanks, cousin." I said.

He just grunted.

Making the Draught of Peace was simple as well. As soon as it was done, I held a vial out to Draco.

He looked at it suspiciously. "Why?"

"Oh, it's Draught of Peace, for Merlin's sake!" I said. "Just take some!"

"How about I don't? Drink some for yourself."

"Oh, fine. I just wanted to see if it was going to have any effect on you."

I cleaned out the cauldron once more and started on brewing the Veritaserum. I was absentmindedly stirring it when there was a small explosion on the other side of the room, causing me to jump.

"Longbottom blowing things up again?" Pansy asked from her place on the other side of Draco.

The smoke cleared to reveal an awkward looking boy standing behind the cauldron. How do you manage to blow up Mandrake Draught?

"Mr. Longbottom, if you could please refrain from setting things on fire and/or mutilating the classroom, it would be ideal." Sev said without emotion. "Clean it up."

Longbottom? I knew that name. Dear old Bellatrix had told me stories about the Longbottoms; how she tortured them while they were in the Order of the Phoenix, how one day she'll kill their son. She had goals, that was certain.

"Idiot," Draco sneered. "He can't even make Mandrake Draught."

"Because I'm sure you've never blown up a potion either," I said, returning to stirring.

"What, are you on his side?"

"I'd rather not take sides,"

"She's too scared to take sides," Pansy stuck her nose in the air. "Can't you tell?"

"Pansy, she went to Hexwood--" wow, Draco was standing up for me.

"So? What does that prove?"

I just smiled to myself while they argued. It was quite funny really.

"I'm just saying that she's tougher than you think," he said.

"Oh, really? Is she? Have you ever _seen_ her do all this amazing stuff that Hexwood is famous for?"

"Yes."

"Uh huh. Care to explain?"

I looked at the potion in front of me. It would need to sit for a while.

"Draco, I'm borrowing your cauldron." I said as I started on some riddlemethis, a potion I had developed myself while at Hexwood. Depending on how much is taken in and the height of the drinker, it lasts longer or shorter. During the time that it's in effect, the drinker speaks only in riddles.

It's hilarious to watch.

"Okay, fine, whatever." He said to me. "Pansy, I'm just warning you--"

I stopped listening out of boredom and started whistling The Death Eater Anthem to myself. Bella had taught it to me when I visited her in Azkaban. It seemed like she had high hopes for me as a Death Eater; I didn't really care for the upcoming war either way. All I wanted to do was master potions and possibly devise a way to kill Umbridge.

Yes. That would be perfect. If Sev and I could poison her…lovely.

I had just finished the riddlemethis when Sev ended class. I took the cauldron of half-finished Veritaserum to him while the others left.

"Here it is," I said. "And Draught of Living Death along with the Draught of Peace."

"Good work," he said, looking them over. "What's that there?"

He took a vial of riddlemethis out of my hand and examined it. "Interesting,"

"It's called riddlemethis," I said. "I invented it."

"And what does it do?" he asked. "Make the drinker speak in riddles?"

"Yes," I smiled. "It's quite funny. Can I…go to Transfigurations now?"

"Of course. I'll expect to see you tonight for your first apprenticeship lesson."

"Yeah. Bye, Sev!" I called as I ran out the door and up out of the dungeons.

Realizing that I had no idea where I was going, I ran up to the second floor and looked for someone I knew. I spotted Luna sitting in the hallway reading and walked up to her.

"Luna," she looked up.

"Oh, hi Bandit," she said. "Are you enjoying your time at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, of course. But um…where's the Transfiguration room?"  
"Oh, it's right down there," she said, pointing to another hallway. "Third door. Can't miss it."

"Thanks, Luna!" I called over my shoulder.

"Anytime," she said.

As I neared the door she had directed me toward, I spied Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. Great. He couldn't have waited for me back in potions? Of course not. He has his posse to think about.

"Hey, cousin, how's it going?" I asked, reaching him.

"I see you found your way here," he said.

"Yes, with the help of a good Ravenclaw friend."

I followed him inside the room to see that, sitting on the desk at the front of the room, there was a tabby cat.

A somehow not-very-cat-like-cat.

An animagus? Yes. The Transfiguration teacher, perhaps? The cat-lady that had led the first years (and me) into the Great Hall for sorting? Of course.

As everyone came in and sat down, she jumped off the desk and turned into a human. As I had expected, it was the lady with the green robes from yesterday.

"Welcome back to Transfigurations," she said. "I trust you all had satisfactory summers. Now, this year, you are going to master human transfigurations for your O.. You'll start out simple by changing hair color today, and as we head towards the end of the year and your exams, you will be able to turn your classmates into other objects. But for now, find a partner and follow my instructions…."

I wasn't listening as she started talking about the art of transfiguring people. Instead, I was thinking of all the beautiful designs I could paint on Draco's blonde head. This was going to be fun.

She must have said to get started or something, because everyone started turning toward each other and attempting to change hair color.

"Ready, Draco?" I asked. "What's you favorite design? Polka dots? Strips? Plaid?"

"Seeing as I doubt you're going to actually let me have a say in this--"

"Stripes it is!" I decided. I had wanted to choose that option. I pulled out my ebony and kingwood wand, the one I used most of the time, and pointed it at his head.

He gulped.

"Oh, come on, Draco! I'm not going to do anything horrible to you," I said.

"I wouldn't be so sure," he mumbled.

I flourished my wand and color erupted across his hair. Bright blue stripes followed by purple spots colored him.

It was comical.

The professor walked over to us and I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"Wonderful job, Miss Morvant," she said.

"Why thank you, Professor," I said, smiling at Draco.

We both turned away from him as he opened his mouth to ask for me to turn his hair back.

"I don't believe I had the chance to formally introduce myself," she said. "I'm Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress."

"Bandit Morvant," I said. "Early graduate of Hexwood International."

"You seem like an extraordinary student, Miss Morvant. It would be a shame if you fell in with the wrong crowd."

"You mean Umbridge?" I asked.

"No…well, yes. Keep an eye out for her, Bandit."

"Will do!" I said cheerfully.

She walked off to assist a few other students and I returned to Draco.

"Do you want me to change it back now?" I asked.

"What do you think?" he snapped.

"Okay then, gosh, I'll leave it for you!"

"What? No! Change it back!" he said desperately.

"Say 'please'," I said, holding my wand out at him.

"Please," he pleaded. "Change my hair back."

"And why?"

"Because I can't do it myself."

"That's right." I smiled and flicked my wand. The color faded into nothingness and his hair returned to its normal color. "Happy now?"

"Thank you," he said. He pointed his own wand and me. "Now, what's your favorite color?"

"I like red," I admitted.

He narrowed his eyes and flourished his wand. I saw a strand of hair out of the corner of my eye go from black to red and fade away almost immediately.

"Well, you got it for about half a second," I said.

"Shut up."

He tried several more times before he could get any lasting color in my hair. By that time, I was so bored that I had turned to changing McGonagall's desk into an alligator and back every so often.

I sighed and watched everyone else trying to change hair color. The girl, Granger, had managed to turn Harry's hair pink, blue, and green multiple times. It was quite entertaining.

When Draco had finally achieved his goal, I looked at him.

"Do you have a fear of ferrets?" I asked.

"What? Why do you ask?" he looked at me suspiciously.

"Well, before, Pansy said something about a ferret and you got really pale, so I was just wondering if—wait, no, you must look hilarious as a ferret!"

"What? No!" he made a snatch for my wand but he was too late. He had already been transformed into a small white ferret.

"Aw, Draco, you're so cute!" I gushed.

He growled and glared at me, baring his little ferret teeth. He wasn't going to be too happy about this.

I looked around and saw a few people staring at me, excluding McGonagall. I noticed her watching me out of the corner of her eye, obviously attempting to not notice it so she couldn't be blamed later on.

She was cool.

Draco jumped at me but I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and put him back down on his chair again.

"Behave and I'll change you back," I said.

He growled.

"That means no back-talking,"

He huffed and looked at me expectantly with an I'll-tell-my-father-about-this look in his eyes.

I turned him back and he looked like he wanted to kill me.

"You—are you insane?" he asked.

"Maybe. Possibly. Probably. Why?"

"I—you--"

"Well, you _did _abandon me yesterday," I reminded him. "I warned you…."

"Everyone, class dismissed. No homework for today, but don't get lazy." McGonagall said.

We walked out, still arguing, Crabbe and Goyle behind us.

"_Why _did you turn me into a _ferret_?" he snarled.

I shrugged. "I dunno. It was funny?"

"It was _funny?"_

"Well, it was. If you don't believe me, I'll ask someone else--"

"No, that's fine." He said. "I just—how about i turn _you _into a ferret sometime?"

"I'd like to see you try. Besides, I can turn into a ferret whenever I want; you can't."

"Whoo! Malfoy the Amazing Bouncing Ferret returns!" someone called from down the hall.

I smiled to myself. This was going to be a great year, I could tell. Despite the evil pink toad-lady, I now knew that if Draco ever did anything to anger me, I could just turn him into a ferret. Ingenious.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N I just wanted to say hi...and I enjoy it when people review. So please do so! And I'm sorry that this chapter is kind of short but others will be longer. I try to write long chapters but sometimes it just doesn't work out...but I digress. Enjoy the story and please review!_**

**_The disclaimer is in the first chapter...blah blah blah...but really, who would expet ME to own HP? I'd love to, but I don't. So there._**

Three

After lunch that day was Defense Against the Dark Arts with the evil toad-lady. I wasn't looking forward to it.

As I was walking to class, I passed Draco and his posse in the hallway. It looked like the perfect little Golden Trio. Even though they were teachers pets—my eye twitched—and everyone loves them, and they get away with destroying the school, and attacking the teachers (poor Sev) without getting in trouble while _normal_ people like myself or Draco or numerous others would be expelled for much, much less—I guess I shouldn't get into it here.

I stopped to watch.

"Well, if it isn't Scar-head, Weaselbee, and the filthy Mudblood," Draco sneered.

Glancing down the hallway, I spotted Flitwick coming and, being the good cousin that I am, decided to get dear Draco out of trouble.

So I went up and punched him square in the jaw.

He went down like a rock.

The Golden Trio stared at me.

"Aren't you his cousin?" the girl asked. I think her name was Hermy…Herma…no…Haley? Definitely started with an H.

"Yeah, so?" I said.

"But…doesn't that mean you have to get him _out_ of trouble and defend _him_?"

"Well…yeah, that was what I was doing, wasn't it?" I asked.

"Punching him in the jaw is _defending_ him? What have _I _been doing for the past five years?" Weasley questioned.

I didn't really feel like answering him, so I simply left, leaving them standing there gaping after me.

I walked into the big room and looked around. It looked like your average classroom—except for the short woman dressed all in pink standing at the front.

I crept through the shadows, trying not to be seen by her, to a seat in the back. Other people walked in and seemed to be having the same reaction as me. They looked at her warily and sat down slowly. The Trio walked in and the muggleborn and the redhead sat down at a table while Potter was left looking around for a seat.

And then, I noticed something so utterly atrocious, so absolutely _horrible_ that I nearly screamed.

The only open seat left was next to me.

Seeing as I visited Sev every holiday, over Christmas break and the summer, I'd literally grown up around stories of how horrible the Boy-Who-Lived was.

And now I had to sit next to him.

My dear cousin was going to get an earful about this. He sat down and I did my best to ignore him.

At one point one girl blew an enchanted paper bird into the air and we watched it fly around until it was incinerated by none other than Umbridge herself. Now really, how cruel was that?

"Good morning, students!" she said.

I didn't reply.

"Ordinary Wizarding Levels," she pointed her wand toward the small chalkboard sitting on a wooden frame at the front of the room. "O.! More commonly known as owls."

Yes, we could all figure this out. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

"Study hard, and you will succeed. I am passing out your new books now." she waved her wand toward a stack of books and they floated out to us. As I got mine, I stared at it.

_Dark Arts Defense: Basics For Beginners_. Was she kidding? This wasn't serious, was it? Because…wow. Sad.

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells," Granger said.

"Using spells? You won't need to _use _spells!" Umbridge laughed.

"What are we, muggles?" I asked rudely.

Granger turned around to glare at me. I didn't really care because as far as I was concerned she could stuff it because I knew I was right.

Umbridge walked down the aisle and stood in front of me, apparently attempting a Snape impersonation. Too bad I wasn't scared of the original.

She giggled that high-pitched laugh of hers. "Silly girl…why in the world would you need to learn any defensive spells? What is there to defend against?"

"I don't know, maybe Lord Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"As much as I hate to agree with you, Potter, Tom _is _a very real threat, despite what your idiotic Ministry might think." I said.

"Tom? Who is Tom?" Umbridge asked sweetly.

It made me want to throw up.

"How do you know his name? It's not exactly common knowledge, is it?" he was obviously insinuating that I was a Death Eater, or at least knew more than I should. Which in all honesty was probably true.

"I went to Hexwood. Believe me, that's enough of an explanation."

"Excuse me, Miss Morvant, but you never answered my question." Umbridge interrupted.

"Well, you should have been listening to our conversation!" I snapped. "Maybe if you had been, you would know who we were talking about. Then maybe, if you knew what we were talking about, you would go back to your stupid, idiotic Minister and tell him what we were talking about. And then maybe the stupid idiotic Minister would finally realize that he'd been wrong all along and the Wizarding world is indeed in grave danger. But no. Because you can't handle the fact that you may be wrong." I huffed and sat down again. I hadn't really realized that I had stood up.

"Miss Morvant, you will report to the Headmaster's office immediately and meet me for detention at seven o'clock tonight!" she squeaked.

I simply stood up, grabbed my bag, and stormed out. I continued in this fashion all the way up to the Headmaster's office (the gargoyle was smart enough to let me in without a password).

I burst through the door, grabbed a handful of sweets off his desk, stuffed them in my mouth, and sat down in the first available chair.

"Hello," Dumbledore said from his spot beside his pet phoenix. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Hi. And no. There is not." I said crossly.

"Then would you be so kind to explain to me what you are doing in my office and how you got in here without a password?"

"The gargoyle let me through."

"Hm…." He turned away.

We just sat in silence for about three minutes before the floo in the fireplace activated and someone walked in.

From his appearance, I automatically knew who he was, by reputation. His eye made sure of that.

Moody came in without noticing me and started talking with Dumbledore, who was trying to subtly get him to become aware of the fact that they weren't alone.

Obviously, he wasn't very good at subtle hints.

As I was leaning over the arm of my chair, I decided I'd like to scare the famous auror's eye right out of his head.

"Well, so much for constant vigilance," I said softly.

He spun around and cast a stunning curse at me. I could tell it wasn't Stupefy by the color. Instinctively, I jumped off the back of the chair, spun through the air and landed with grace that a cat would be envious of.

"That was fun, let's do it again sometime!" I said as I stood.

"Bandit, this is Alastor Moody," Dumbledore said. "Alastor, this is Bandit Morvant, a transfer from Hexwood. To be totally honest, I'm not exactly sure why she's here."

Being influenced by the sugar I had practically inhaled earlier, I jumped up and went to shake his hand. Which was awkward, as he still had his wand out.

"Oh, you're a Slytherin, eh? What'd you get in trouble for?" he asked.

I told him everything about my encounter with Umbitch. By the end of my story, I think he was more open to the idea that Slytherins weren't all bad.

"So, you believe Potter?" he asked.

"To an extent, I guess. I mean, it's obvious that the Dark Lord is back, so…yeah."

"You call him the Dark Lord then?"

"Well, that's what he is, isn't he? Dumbledore's the Light Lord, after all. So obviously, as I've learned at Hexwood, there's always a dark to the light and there's always a balance."

"A very mature way of thinking, for one so young," Dumbledore said. "Though I don't know about being the Light Lord…."

"But you are," I stated. "Tell me, Headmaster, when was the last time you used Dark Magic?"

"Well…I haven't," he admitted.

"There you go."

Suddenly, Phineas Nigellus appeared in his portrait. Where he had been before I had no idea. "Excuse me, but there's someone trying to guess the password downstairs. You might want to let him in."

Dumbledore simply did a complicated little wave of his wand and moments later there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he said.

The door opened to reveal my idiotic cousin.

"Professor Flitwick asked me to come get you," he said, looking around. "You're missing Charms as we speak."

"You look familiar," Moody said to Draco. "Have we met?"

"No!" he said quickly. "I mean…um…I don't think we've met."

I stood up and started dragging him out. "Come on ferret boy, let's go…."

"No, it's the hair, I'm sure of it!" Moody continued. "You're the Malfoy boy, that's it! I remember you from when we searched your house this summer!"

Not waiting for Draco to reply, I pulled him out the door and down the stairs towards the Charms corridor.

"You didn't tell me that your house was searched," I commented.

"You didn't ask, did you?" he retorted.

"Malfoy, don't get any further on my bad side than you already are. I, unlike dear Sev, have no qualms about hexing you into next Tuesday when you misbehave."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh really? Just watch me, Draco."

Back in the Charms room, Professor Flitwick looked at me. "Where were you, exactly?"

"The Headmaster's office," I answered, sitting down next to Luna.

"Oh really?" she asked. "Why were you there?"

"I got into a minor disagreement with our absolutely lovely and fastidious new professor."

"That's wonderful," she smiled before turning back to Professor Flitwick, who was demonstrating how to cast Impedimenta. I, of course, had already learned this in my second year.

I didn't pay attention through the rest of the class and instead spent my time remembering about my last year at Hexwood, when we were learning how to cast Scruge. It gets rid of ectoplasm, which, of course, is what ghosts are made of.

I was contemplating doing the student population a favor by getting rid of Peeves when I was interrupted by Flitwick.

"Miss Morvant, would you like to demonstrate a proper Impedimenta for the class?" he asked.

"Sure," I stood up.

"Cast it on me," he instructed.

_Really, who else was I going to cast it on? _I thought.

He started running toward me, which was actually quite terrifying if you think about it long enough, and I cast the spell silently.

He practically stopped dead in his tracks, though if you looked at him long enough you could tell that he was still moving. Sort of.

Granger looked at me. "You didn't do it right."

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"Because, obviously, the spell doesn't freeze people. It just slows them down."

"Well, if you had actually been paying attention, Granger, you would see that he's still moving slightly." Draco sneered.

I turned to look at him. "Draco, did you actually just defend me?"

"Don't mention it. Really. Don't. Ever. I'm serious. Don't ever mention it. Just don't."

I smiled to myself.

The rest of the day, consisting of Herbology and Arithmancy, was a bit of a blur. As I was walking down the hallway to dinner, Sev walked up to me.

"Bandit, I would like to inform you that Slytherin House is going to be having Quidditch tryouts this Monday at four o'clock. Don't be late."

"Wait…why do you want me to join the team?" I asked.

"Because, dear cousin, I would love Potter thrown off his broom, and I am well aware that you are a very accomplished beater."

"Wow Sev, was that actually a compliment? Okay, what's the catch?"

"No catch. Except for the fact that if you do join the team and we lose against Gryffindor _one more time_, I will make your life a living hell. Good day."

"And that's such an incentive to join the team," I muttered as he left. I then headed off to dinner.

Afterwards, as I was walking back to Sev's office because I had a special Potions lesson with him and I didn't want to deal with any other Slytherins at the moment (not to mention I wanted to discuss my plans to prank Potter with him and see if he would help) the hallway was blocked by the two Weasley twins.

They were sitting in the middle of the hall, doing their homework or something or other. I walked up behind them and looked at the Arithmancy papers they were writing.

"It's supposed to be seventy-four, not sixty-eight," I commented.

They jumped to their feet and squealed like little girls.

"Where'd you come from?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, you kind of just appeared out of nowhere. Kind of creepy if you ask me." the other agreed.

"Well, yes, I suppose it is a bit creepy, but that's my specialty. I call it the Stalking Game." I said.

"So you're a stalker?" they asked at the same time. They didn't look all that concerned, to be truthful.

"No. It's a muggle joke."

"But…you're a pureblood, aren't you? And Malfoy's cousin, right?"

"Your point, please?" I asked.

"Well…you're not supposed to like muggles, right?" one of them inquired.

"Let's get something straight," I growled. "I have never and will never become one of the mindless, murdering, zombies that my cousin seems so eager to turn into." I raged.

"Well, fine then!"

"What, you _want _me to hate muggles?"

"Well, no, but--"

"THEN WHAT'S YOUR POINT?"

They glanced at each other and looked back at me.

"I'm Fred," the one on the right said.

"And I'm George," the other smiled. "Or you could just call us Gred and Forge. Doesn't really matter that way."

And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.


	4. Info Chapter

Information Chapter

_A/N This is a chapter with basic background information on Hexwood International, Bandit's friends, and any other information that we won't be able to fit into the story._

Bandit's Friends

Kimberly Jones

-16 yrs old

-Curly red hair

-Glasses

-Best class: Divination

-Always hyper

-Worst class: Potions

-Height: 5'8"

-Eyes: Grey

Obsessive compulsive organizer

-From Iowa, USA

-werewolf

Jessie Penecost

-17 yrs old

-Honey blonde hair

-Eyes: Green

-Best Class: Herbology

-Worst Class: Arithmancy

-Height: 5'5"

Always in a rush

-From the Netherlands

Hadrian Marr

-17 yrs old

-Platinum blonde hair and ice blue eyes (Aryan race)

-Best Class: Alchemy

-Worst Class: Herbology

-Height: 6'2"

Mortally afraid of the color red

-From Germany

-vampire

Reese Preas

-19 yrs old

-Caramel brown hair

-Eyes: brown

-Best Class: History of Magic

-Worst Class: Flying

-Height: 6'7"

Recites history of everything every chance he gets

-From France

Alice Lee

-17 yrs old

-black hair always worn in braid

-Eyes: Black

-Best Class: CMC

-Worst Class: History of Magic

-Height: 5'2"

Anti-religion, anti-government

-From Number 14 Grimmauld Place, London, England

-has dragon heritage somewhere in her family tree

Kindy Rowe

-16 yrs old

-Strawberry blonde

-Eyes: dark blue

-Best Class: Survival

-Worst Class: Transfiguration

-Height: 5'6"

Is claustrophobic to the point where she hates being anywhere indoors.

-From Australia

Casey and Aron Angiolo

-13 yrs old

-red hair

-eyes: amber

-Best Class: Dark Arts

-Worst Class: Potions

-Height: 5'9"

Last name means "Angel" but they are absolute menaces. Worse than Peeves. Homosexual twins. Obsessed with fashion. Flirt with everything that moves, including hippogriffs.

-From Milan, Italy

Draven Direlli

-20 yrs old

-Black hair

-Purple contacts, no one actually knows what color his eyes are

-Best Class: Blood Magic

-Worst Class: Charms

-Height: 6'5"

He's a vegetarian activist for animal rights. At home his father has a pet chimera.

-From Marseilles France

-His mother is a fae

TEACHERS/CLASSES

Transfiguration

Professor Miroslav

Charms

Professor Taonga

CMC

Professor Hwan

Potions

Professor Cassius

Divination

Professor Chetana

Alchemy

Professor Mirela

Dark Arts

Professor Gabriel (no one knows his last name)

The Dark Arts were outlawed in Great Britain in 1717. Hexwood International is, obviously, an international school, so therefore must teach all magics taught in all countries. Because of this, Dark Arts must be taught here. Just because Great Britain decides that it doesn't want to practice these incredibly useful arts doesn't mean the rest of the world does too.

Warding

Professor Makaio

Includes blood wards as well as studying examples of wards around the world (such as those in Gringotts)

Rituals

Professor Colette

Includes learning how to properly prepare a ritual without killing yourself or others around you.

Metaphysics

Professor Tiziano

Arithmancy

Professor Dragana

Ancient Runes

Professor Bryony

History of Magic

Professor Glenice

Herbology

Professor Axel

Astronomy

Professor Thea

Healing

Professor Aliyyah

Includes learning about magical anatomy, how to heal basic wounds which advances into magical maladies and curse wounds.

Survival

Professor Suvi

The first class that you will ever have of this subject includes being dropped into the middle of the woods in a random country and learning to survive for a week.

Flying

Gemma Jermaine

Magical Transport

Professor Kinborough

Includes learning how to safely make portkeys, apparition points, and how to instantaneously transport yourself and others using various means.

Necromancy

Professor Aleksander

Chemistry

Professor Caibre

Biology

Professor Nikkoli

Creative Writing

Professor Neoptolemus

Theater

Professor Alexandrine

Geology

Jared

Orchestra/Band

Professor Ibolya

Choir

Professor Sebastian

Physics

Professor Kanchana

Animations

Professor Xochitl

Learning hot to bring inanimate objects to life. (Example would be the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office.)

Summoning

Professor Sabina

To bring spirits and demons into our world to aid you in battle.

Independent Study

All Professors

Art

Professor Viktoria

Language

Professors Shiphrah and Jacomina

Every student is required to learn at least three languages during their stay.

Intelligence

Professor Vendelin

This class includes hacking, stealth—basically learning how to be a spy.

International Relations

Professor Shani

Defense

Professor Lupin, Substitute: Gabriel

Professor Lupin was the original teacher of the class and is currently on sabbatical.

Hexwood History

The Hexwood Institute was established in 1248. They only accept the best of the best. The entry exams consist of measuring the capacity of your magical core, as well as your ability to learn.

Hexwood is an equal opportunities school, which means that anyone who passes their requirements is accepted. Due to this there is a great variety in the student body; werewolves, vampires, fae, purebloods, half-bloods, muggle borns—all are equal in the eyes of Hexwood.

For the first three years at Hexwood, you are required to take every class. Time-turners are issued to every student at the beginning of their time at the school. In the fourth year your time-turner is taken away and you are allowed to drop classes so that you only attend the ones that fit your magic. Because you do not have your time-turner and you are allowed to choose your classes, if you take on a workload to large for you to handle, you are held responsible for your own choices.

Hexwood has a phenomenal quidditch program. Training exercises include: dodging Dementors, fighting gale-force winds, and learning how to handle storms. An average practice session at Hexwood is at a minimum four hours long. Hexwood competes in various tournaments and has only one school team as well as the reserve. They produce some of the best quidditch players in the world.

Hexwood is located on an island slightly south of Azkaban Prison. While this causes cold weather year round, it also gives extra protection to the students here at the school.

Sometimes the school hosts soirees to which convicts at the prison are invited.

Hexwood does not have a set entrance age, but you must graduate by the age of 21 or else you will be thrown out.

Bandit's Family Tree

**Malfoy side **

:Abraxas Malfoy:----------???????

Lucius----Narcissa Nomen ------ Aestevia nee Prince

Draco -cousins- Bandit

**Prince side**

Eileen Snape nee Prince ------ Tobias Snape Aestevia-----Nomen

Severus Snape cousins Bandit

**The Morvant Thing**

Nomen is Lucius' older brother who ran away as soon as he turned 17 to live with his grandmother on his father's side. He changed his name to Morvant so that his immediate family could not find him because he did not believe in their pureblood mania. He was never disowned, so Bandit is still a part of the Malfoy family.

Aestevia is Sev's aunt, but they've never met. She didn't know of his existence until her sister died.


	5. Chapter 4

**_A/N I just wanted to say that if you read the info chapter and had questions, just write them in a review and they'll be answered when i post the next chapter. Or you could always message me. I know it was kind of hard to read, sorry, but i was in a hurry and just needed to post it. If you read the descriptions of Bandit's friends at Hexwood and found them interesting, i can assure you that that wasn't the last you will see of them and they WILL be appearing in this fine story somewhere down the line...maybe in a few chapters. I'm not really sure. On a different note, I'd just like to say that I really have fun writing the scenes where Bandit is in Defense Against the Dark Arts :D. And quidditch is perhaps the best sport in the world. So please, enjoy and let me know if you have questions!_**

Four

I skipped that night's detention with Umbridge, determined to prove to her that she was just an overall failure in life. I knew that I was just going to have to deal with her on Tuesday, when I had Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I could care less.

On Monday, I went to the quidditch pitch for the tryouts. I had brought my old broom from Hexwood; just a standard school broom, nothing amazing. But when I got there and saw that the entire Slytherin team was still using Nimbus 2001's, I was silent. That was just kind of sad.

Flint was standing there, a small crowd around him.

"Well, if it isn't Bandit Morvant," he said as he spotted me. "The only open positions are keeper and beater. Take your pick."

"I'm going to have to say I'll try out for beater," I said, remembering Sev's words. _I would love seeing Potter thrown off his broom, and I am well aware that you are a very accomplished beater._

It was true. I had almost always played as a beater back at Hexwood, so, seeing as it seemed like the competition here was rather lacking, I figured I would definitely make the team.

I guess Flint noticed me smirking to myself.

"So, you think you're such a good beater?" he asked. "Warm up and show us what you've got."

I rolled my eyes and got on my broom. Smiling brightly at Draco, who was lurking not far away, I took off and flew up at a ninety-degree angle to atmospheric levels. The air was practically sucked out of my lungs as I continued up and back-flipped over so I was headed back for the ground.

I stopped only inches away from being flattened in the grass and hopped off.

"What kind of broom are you using?" someone asked.

"What, this? It's just my old school broom." I answered. "I mean, of course I customized it a little, but it's nothing really spectacular…."

Everyone that had been crowding around Flint ran over to me and I was surrounded by my fellow Slytherins. They asked so many questions I couldn't keep up with them and eventually just resorted to smiling and nodding.

Flint obviously wasn't happy.

"You think you're such a quidditch player?" he sneered. "Fine then. I challenge you to a fly-off. Around the entire school."

Draco pushed through the crowd to reach my side. "He's the other beater," he informed me. "Don't let him cheat and kill you."

"Why, dear cousin, could it be that you care about me?" I asked as I got back on the broom to hover next to Flint.

He just grumbled something as I left him.

"Ready?" Flint asked.

I glanced at him. "Of course."

"Go." He shot off and I chased after him, pulling up so that I could fly above him.

His outdated broom was no match for mine. After all, despite that it was just a school model, it had been built by Hexwood's own revered broom maker.

I was soon several lengths ahead of him. By this time, we had reached the astronomy tower. I circled it twice before Flint was even close enough to slightly bother me.

I stayed too far ahead of him for the rest of the race to be worried about any tricks he would play on me. It still made me furious that he would even challenge me like this, but I couldn't blame him. He seemed like the kind of person that always wanted attention from devoted fans like the crowd that had come to watch tryouts.

When I reached the pitch again, I simply sat there for a moment, catching my breath. I turned when I heard Flint returning, a cross between admiration and hatred plastered onto his face.

Apparently, the hatred took over for a moment, because he brushed my shoulder in a jerky way as he flew past me.

I turned to Draco, who was standing next to me, holding the beater clubs for when we actually started real tryouts.

"Did you release the bludgers?" I asked.

He nodded. "Why do you--"

"Give me that." I snatched one of the clubs from him and saw an approaching bludgers. Flint wasn't getting away without punishment for brushing my sleeve.

I tensed and braced myself for the impact of the bludgers. As it got closer and closer, I raised the club and hit it. With and earsplitting crack, it rebounded and headed straight for Flint.

It collided with the back of his head with a crunch and he immediately collapsed. The crowd surged toward him, looks of concern and awe on their faces.

"W-what was that for?" Draco asked.

"He brushed my sleeve."

I followed at the back of the crowd as they transported Flint to the hospital wing. I wanted to see what would happen now.

As he sat there in the bed, he cracked an eye open. Huh. So he was still conscious. Amazing. I guess his skull was just so thick that something like that wouldn't knock him out that fast.

"Morvant," he said quietly.

"Yeah?" I asked, pushing past people to stand at the foot of the bed.

"While I'm stuck here, you're to take over as captain of the team. Do whatever it takes to get the rest of them as good as you."

"Right," I turned and looked at the section of the crowd I knew to be members of the Slytherin team.

This was going to be hard.

"Now, I know we only have until Sunday to prepare for the first match against Gryffindor," I paced in front of our shabby little quidditch team. "But I think I can at least get you up to the very minimum standards of Hexwood's coaches."

"We're never going to win," someone said. "They've got Potter, and we just have Draco here as seeker."

Draco turned to whoever it was and glared.

"Are you kidding me?" I laughed. "Potter? Yes, I know that he was on the team as a First Year and for some reason that's rare at this school, but really, you lot can't beat him?"

"Don't you know who else is on the team?" someone else piped up.

"Enlighten me."

"The Weasleys."

There was silence all around. I just didn't get it.

"Which Weasleys? There's like, four of them here." I said, unimpressed.

"The twins," someone said. "They're amazing beaters."

Beaters? They had never told me that they were beaters, or even on the team at all. Yeah, we had grown closer over the past few days, but seeing as they were Seventh Year Gryffindors, I didn't get to see them much, so we didn't have that much time to talk.

But that meant that I was going to have to face them alone for the first match while Flint was stuck in the hospital wing.

This wasn't going to end well, considering I had no idea how good they were at quidditch. Yes, Hogwarts was obviously not as well trained as Hexwood, but still…there were two of them and only one of me.

"Yes, I understand that they have the Weasleys on the team," I turned back to pacing in front of them. "But we're going to win. Just watch."

"Why are we listening to you?" someone asked. "You put Flint in the hospital wing!"

I turned my gaze toward whoever it was that had talked. "Drop and give me fifty."

"What?" he asked.

"Push-ups, genius! Fifty! _Now!" _I ordered. "In fact, why don't all of you start with fifty push-ups?"

There were groans and whines from the team as they slowly crept to the ground and started weakly executing their pathetic attempts at push-ups.

"Really, is that the best you can do?" I asked. I was going to have a lot of work to do over the next week to get this team in shape.

The next morning, I woke up slowly and rolled out of bed. It was Tuesday. Great. I had Defense Against the Dark Arts today with Umbridge.

I walked down to the common room and, seeing Pansy standing there admiring Draco as he sat on the couch reading, left immediately for Sev's office.

I simply skipped breakfast, feeling too grim to eat. The toad-lady was going to be furious about my skipping detention last week. What would she do? Probably just double it for tonight. I was sickly curious about what she made people do for detention, so I figured I would actually go this time. Just to see how the ministry likes to punish people.

I opened the door to the potions room and found Sev sitting in his office, grading papers.

He glanced up at me as I walked in. "I see your hair has changed color once again."

"Yeah," I picked up a strand of silvery hair and looked at it. "Like it?"

"Bandit, why are you here?" he asked without looking at me. "Shouldn't you be eating breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry."  
"Do you have Defense Against the Dark Arts first thing today?"

I just nodded and leaned on the edge of his desk. "How can you put up with her, Sev?"

"I can't, so I prefer to avoid her at all costs. On a lighter note, how is the quidditch team coming along?"

"Well, Flint's in the hospital wing for a while, so I'm acting as captain during his absence," I said cheerfully.

"You wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that he's there, would you?"

"It wasn't my fault that he brushed past my sleeve," I muttered. "But anyways, about Umbridge…why exactly is she here?"

"It would seem that the Ministry prefers to contradict the fact that the Dark Lord has returned," he said.

"I figured that part out on my own,"

"Fudge sent her to make sure that Dumbledore and Potter don't spread the word around that he's returned. Despite her happy appearance, I'm quite positive that she'll torture you, given the chance. I'd stay away if I were you."

"I'm not scared of her," I stood up. "And besides, I went to Hexwood."

"That might not be a good enough reason to brag in this case." He glanced up at the clock. "I would suggest that you get going before you land yourself in detention just for not getting to class."

"Because I want to be there so badly," I grumbled as I walked out and up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room.

As I trudged miserably up the stairs to face the teacher of doom, I spotted the Weasley twins talking with the Golden Trio. I just sighed heavily and walked past, not in the mood to even attempt a conversation.

"What's gotten our favorite Slytherin down in the dumps?" Fred asked as he and George stepped in front of me.

"Oh, wait; do you have Defense Against the Dark Arts first thing today?" George made a tutting sound at me.

"Yes," I said glumly. "I also happened to skip my last detention with Umbridge."

"Shame, shame." Fred shook his head.

"Well, better be off. Class to attend to and all that." George said.

"Be sure to give dear old Draco our greetings!" Fred called as they walked down the hall.

Right. Of course.

I just sighed again and walked into the classroom, completely aware that the Golden Trio was following me. I could care less if they were stalking me.

I sat in the back corner and put my head down on the table. Not only had I skipped detention, but I had also conveniently managed to lose that stupid textbook she had given me. And I didn't want one. I could fail this class for all I cared. I had already gone through school once and managed to graduate early; why should something like this matter? All I was really here for were the potions lessons from Sev.

"Miss Morvant," Umbridge said in her fake, sweet voice. "You failed to comply with my request that you come to detention last week. Is there any excuse you would like to give me?"

"Not really," I said without looking up at her. "I was preoccupied."

"With what, may I ask?"

I glanced around and noticed that the Trio was watching from the other side of the room.

"I was recently made captain of the Slytherin quidditch team, and as we all know, in most schools sports are considered more important than academic achievements."

I watched their eyes widen slightly and they glanced at each other before Potter whispered something and they all bent their heads down to talk without me listening in on the conversation.

Umbridge giggled. "Really? Why was I not made aware of this?"

"Well, you're not head of Slytherin House, now are you? Actually, you're not in charge of any house. You're not even really a teacher. You're just a lady sent by the Ministry to keep an eye on things here at our lovely Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and ensure that you brainwash us all into going completely insane. Nice job to have." I rolled my eyes.

"Who do you think you are?" she asked, her lip quivering in rage.

"I'm Bandit Morvant, early graduate of Hexwood International. I believe you already know all of this from our previous meeting last week."

"Hexwood International," she scoffed. "What on earth do they teach at that school, anyways? It's right next to Azkaban prison, is it not?"

"They teach things that you really need to know," I said. "And they don't use stupid 'Ministry-approved' books in the process."

She was fuming with anger. It was a funny sight. "I'll see you tonight in my office for detention and again tomorrow. And if you interrupt me once during class today, you're taking it to McGonagall."

"Fine." I really didn't mind going to McGonagall as a punishment. She was one of my favorite teachers.

She strode back to the front of the classroom and we glared at each other while waiting for the rest of the students to make their way in. I hated her guts so much. Why was I waiting so long to poison her? I should've done it on the first day.

"Good morning, students!" she said in her creepy voice. "Today we are going to be discussing situations in which it is legal to use defensive spells. We will begin by thinking of examples of circumstances in which, for some strange reason, you may need to use magic for defense."

I rolled my eyes. She was so fake.

"Now then," looked across the room. "Has anyone thought of a situation?"

"Dementors attacking you in a muggle neighborhood," Potter said.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Oh my," Umbridge giggled. "Your hand was not raised, Mr. Potter, and therefore we will dismiss your comment. Anyone else?"

She looked around the room and her eyes rested on me, daring me to say something. As much as I really didn't want to be in the same room with her, I didn't want her to get her way either and kept my mouth shut.

"Miss Morvant?" she asked. "Do you have anything you would like to say?"

I clenched my jaw and stared pointedly past her. I wasn't going to let her trick me into letting her get her way. I wouldn't be that stupid.

"Professor," Granger had raised her hand. "What if we were attacked by a Dark Wizard out on the street one day? The laws clearly state that underage magic is allowed if you are faced with a life-threatening situation--"

"Laws can change, dear child." Umbridge said, turning away from me.

I breathed a sigh of relief and put my head back down on my arms. I had to show the toad-lady that I wouldn't give in to her.

"But if we really _were _faced with something like that then we need to know how to defend ourselves!" Potter snarled.

"Mr. Potter, your hand was not raised; therefore, we will disregard your comment."

"But you don't understand!"

"That is enough, Mr. Potter! I will see you tonight for detention."

Oh, great. Not only did I have to endure detention with _her_ but also with _him. _It was double the punishment.

"Now then," she turned and started pacing slowly in front of the class. "Does anyone have anything to say? Anyone at all?"

She was looking straight at me again. I couldn't believe this. She wanted me to say something so that she could send me to McGonagall? How much sense did _that _make?

After a few minutes of her eyes burning into my skull, I couldn't take it. How was I supposed to actually go through with these classes with her acting like that? It was impossible! I could always just quit coming altogether and only stay to be Sev's apprentice. It would work for everyone.

But it was obvious that Hogwarts needed me. I had to stay.

"Miss Morvant?" she asked. "Anything you would like to say?"

Everyone turned to look at me and I realized that they were expecting me to burst out with some kind of epic speech that would leave Umbridge destroyed, but I was pretty sure that something like that would be impossible.

Well, I had to give it a shot, didn't I?

"Miss Morvant?" she asked.

"While I understand that you're just trying to trick me into talking so that you can get rid of me, I have to contradict most of what you're attempting to teach in this class." I said. "Laws as important as the one concerning underage magic and life-threatening situations should not and cannot be changed as quickly as that while the Minister is obviously going insane due to a certain stage of denial that warps your mind so severely you end up acting like he is.

"On the subject of Dementors attacking you in a muggle neighborhood, while it is unlikely, it is not impossible and obviously not unheard of. Yes, the Dementors may be under the Ministry's control, but that doesn't mean that certain members of said Ministry won't send the Dementors after someone."

Really, I was just taking a guess there. I had no idea if she had sent Dementors after Potter or not, but judging by the look on her face, she had.

"There are more and more Dark Witches and Wizards showing their faces once more than there have been in years, and if you took a stroll down Knockturn alley, you would know what I'm talking about. The chances of being attacked are becoming greater and greater as time goes on and the Death Eaters gather under the Dark Lord's command, so really, in this case, you are being extremely irrational and therefore everything you say should be disregarded. Good day to you, everyone."

I stood up to leave as she was about to open her mouth to throw me out. Just before I got to the door, I turned to see Draco shaking his head at me like I was a complete idiot.

He was probably right, to an extent.

I just walked down to McGonagall's office and knocked on the door without even muttering to myself under my breath.

"Come in," she called.

I opened the door and walked inside. "Why aren't you teaching?"

"This is my break time. I don't have any classes." she explained. "What are you doing here, Bandit? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Umbridge threw me out," I said cheerfully.

McGonagall sighed. "Have a seat. I suppose I'm expected to talk things over with you?"

I shrugged. "Sure." I sat down in the chair and looked at her across the desk.

"Alright then…what exactly did you do, first of all?"

"Told her how stupid she was being. She was asking for it."

She sighed once more. "What did you say to her?"

"Something along the lines of the Minister being insane, accusing Umbridge of sending Dementors into a muggle neighborhood, and telling her that she's being irrational and we shouldn't listen to her. So here I am now. Interesting how these things turn out, isn't it?"

"Did you do something like this in your last class with her?"

I nodded. "She sent me to Dumbledore that time. I think I'm cursed to forever be hated by her."

"Well," she glanced around as if making sure there wasn't anyone else around. "I'd like to congratulate you, Miss Morvant. Hogwarts would be far better off without her around and you seem to be one of the few students that have done anything to attempt to discourage her."

"If you think that she needs to go too then can't you just…get rid of her? You're the Deputy Headmistress, after all."

"Yes, but I don't have a say about what goes on in the Ministry. On a happier note, I've been told, numerous times, that you've been added to the Slytherin quidditch team."

"Yes I have," I said. "And we're going to beat you Gryffindors in the first match. Just watch."

She smiled. "We'll see in due time. But if what I've heard about your quidditch skills are true, then why don't you pursue a career in the sport? I'm sure you could make the national team."

I shrugged. "I could, probably. But I figured I'd wait until I got this whole potions apprenticeship thing figured out before I tried to go and become a professional athlete."

"Very wise indeed. Now then, since I don't believe I have any real reason to punish you for anything and as I presume Umbridge already has you for detention today, I would like to say that you're free to leave, if you wish."

"Thank you, professor." I stood to leave and turned back to look at her just before i reached the door. "Good luck with the match on Sunday."

That night, I trudged up the stairs for my detention with Umbridge. I was going to die. She would be there, dressed all in pink, and so would Potter. Well, he wouldn't be wearing pink (hopefully) but he would still be there.

As I knocked on the door to her office, I started regretting skipping my first detention with her. I really didn't want to have to come up here again tomorrow.

The door was opened by none other than Harry Potter himself and I walked past him with my head down. I didn't want him to think that just because we had detention together I was going to be his ally.

"Miss Morvant, so glad you could make it. Tea?" Umbridge asked from her place at the little table.

"No, thanks." I said coldly, crossing my arms. As I looked around, I was painfully reminded of exactly who I was dealing with. The walls were covered in kittens, all mewing and looking sinisterly adorable. As for everything else, it was pink. There were pink doilies on the table, the sugar was pink…how could she live with herself? Wasn't there already enough pink in the world without her?

Apparently not.

"Now, seeing as Mr. Potter has already come to me once for detention, I'll let you begin writing first." She said, putting a piece of parchment on the table in front of me. "I would like you to write 'I must not aggravate others'."

"How many times?" I asked crossly. "You have to tell me these things. Don't expect me to simply know."

"Well, you _are _from Hexwood International. But let's just say…oh…for as long as it takes for the message to really sink in."

I sat in the chair, half expecting it to be electric, and picked up the quill in front of me. I had seen one like it somewhere before…but where? Knockturn alley, perhaps? Probably. Then again, I could have been wrong; it didn't seem all that evil. And it didn't look like I was going to be able to simply break it while she wasn't looking and use my own.

I sighed and started writing the sentence out. Writing lines? Really? I could think of so many other ways that detention could be served better. Ways that were actually productive and taught people to behave.

After a few minutes, I realized that the back of my hand had started burning. I tried to ignore it at first, but after a bit, it was all too obvious what was going on; she was trying to torture me. Sev had been right.

The pain was searing, ripping across my hand, when I jumped up and backed towards the door.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" I snarled, staring at the bloody letters on the back of my hand. I had basically just carved the sentence into my own flesh. I should have known that she would do something like that.

"Just trying to make sure that you understand who's in charge here," she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. "Now don't think that you can run, Dear Bandit."

"Don't call me that!" I yelled as I sprinted out the door and down the stairs into the classroom below. I was going to have to outrun whatever she sent after me if I wanted to survive much longer. If I could make it to the dungeons, I would be safe. Sev and the other Slytherins would protect me.

I hoped.

"Get her!" I heard Umbridge screech.

I didn't turn to see what was going to be running after me and instead ran out into the corridor. Down, I just needed to head down…oh damn, where was the staircase? In my blind panic I was acting—well, blind.

I heard a soft pattering and glanced behind me as I dashed down the stairs. The kittens. The kittens were running through the portraits after me. Really? What was that going to solve?! They were paintings of _kittens_! What could they do to me?

No. Don't think about that. There were so many possibilities…I had no idea what Umbridge was capable of. For all I knew, they were actually relatively dangerous, despite appearing as simple kitten pictures on fine china hanging on the walls of her office.

They were following oh so closely. As they ran through the portraits, only a few steps behind me, I tried to think of a way to get to the dungeons that didn't involve any portraits that they could follow me through.

Sadly, I couldn't think of any.

"Bandit?" Fred asked as I spotted the Weasleys leaning against the wall.

"Sorry, can't talk!" I said as I ran past the twins.

"Okay…?" George asked.

"Are…are those the cats from Umbridge's office?"

I didn't hear the rest of their conversation as I continued on towards the common room. This was absolutely ridiculous. How was that toad getting away with torturing people like that? Right under Dumbledore's nose? Really, if he was as great as people said he was, couldn't he get rid of her?

When I finally reached the dungeons, I realized that the kittens had slowed to a stop and were gathering in the last few portraits that adorned the walls. I leaned against the cold stone to catch my breath and smiled to myself. I had outwitted her yet again. Maybe it would be better if I didn't poison her…it would do her good to realize that there were people in this world smarter than her.


	6. Chapter 5

**_A/N Sorry for not updating this for a bit...I didn't mean to just kind of leave it like that, but my week has been rather busy *sweat drop* and i haven't had much time to work on it. But here it is, chapter five! Quidditch is now officially my favorite sport. I would make an excellent beater! Also, my friend and I went to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince a few days ago. We loved it and are considering going to see it again in the near future just because we won't be able to wait for the DVD to come out. With that said, i would also like to inform you that we will indeed be writing a sequel to Coup d'Etat that will take place in Bandit's 6th Year. No, that doesn't mean that Coup d'Etat is close to ending (far from it, in fact). It is in the early stages, has no name, and will obviously not be posted until this story is finished. Again, i digress; enjoy this chapter! The next one should be posted later today or tomorrow, it just needs a bit of revising. _**

Five

The weekend approached quickly. Over the week, I was painfully reminded of my lack of skills in the art of divination and wondered what would happen to me when O.W.L.s came around. I would probably have to make up a prediction and hope that it came true.

I made the Slytherin team practice every day, letting the Gryffindors use the stadium and instead training over the lake and around the castle. It seemed to actually be paying off too; they stopped whining on Wednesday and by Friday they were completely optimistic and aggressive about the match on Sunday.

"Now then," I said as we waited in the locker room. "We all know that the Gryffindor team has been practicing extra this past week, but it's obvious that their training regimen isn't nearly as good as ours, so I'm confident that we'll win. If we don't, not only will I punish you all severely, but Sev will make our lives hell. Got it?"

There were groans as replies. They certainly were a gloomy bunch when it came to Sev punishing them.

"Alright. So we all know the plan?" I began pacing.

"What plan?" Draco asked.

"Okay, you're right; we don't really have a plan. I just wanted to say that." I said. "But…we can wrap this game up rather quickly, provided that Draco can find the snitch. Chasers, just do your job, keeper…don't let them score on us. I don't think we need a strategy today."

This was going to be great. We were going to restore Slytherin's quidditch pride and beat Gryffindor. Those red-and-gold-colored jocks probably thought that they were going to get away with an easy win because Flint was still in the hospital wing.

But they were so wrong it was funny.

When we got the word that it was time to leave the locker room, I picked up my broom and led the way out to the pitch. I glanced back and saw that the others were starting to look like a well-put-together team rather than the scraggly bunch they really were. They looked proud, like Slytherins ought to.

There was a small amount of cheering as we walked out to the center of the field where Madam Hooch was waiting.

The cheering intensified as the Gryffindor team joined us.

"I want a nice, clean game," Madam Hooch said as we gathered around her in a circle. "From _all _of you."

She looked pointedly at me. She must have heard about Flint.

I didn't listen to the rest of her speech; instead, flew up above, surveying the pitch. It was kind of…small compared to Hexwood's.

As the bludgers were released, I spotted the twins sitting side by side, looking at me smugly. They thought that just because I was outnumbered they would have an easy win, did they?

I noticed a bludger heading towards me and gripped the club tighter in my hand. Fred and George needed to understand that I meant business.

I redirected the bludger toward them and they dodged it at the last second. Well, at least their reflexes were good.

"What are you trying to do?" Fred asked, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Look alive, boys. It's not my fault if you end up in the hospital."

"What we have here, Fred, is a Slytherin acting like it would in the wild," George said as they flew to my sides. "They're rather nasty when provoked, which is why no wildlife observer has been able to get close enough to document one in its natural habitat. Shame really."

I opened my mouth to say something when suddenly the snitch was released and the game began. I watched the tiny golden orb for a moment before turning back to the rest of the field. This was what we had trained for.

I took my place at the head of the V formation the others had made, Draco on my left side. We flew around behind the goalposts and our keeper assumed his position in front of the center one. We then headed back toward the center of the field where we lost Draco as he sped after the snitch. I parted from the other three and watched them from above.

The chasers flew in perfect unison, mirroring each other and moving as one as they tossed the quaffle back and forth, teasing the Gryffindors with it. I flew around towards the opposing team's goalposts to watch from a better angle and to wait for the chance to take Weasley out with a bludger if the moment called for it.

He wasn't the greatest keeper in the world, so I simply left him.

I spotted my uncle Lucius in the stands and smiled nervously at his cold expression. I wanted to impress him, I really did. But it would be hard, seeing as he already had his son to look after.

I just shook my head and flew back around to look for Draco. I found him already in hot pursuit of the snitch, Potter barely inching in front of him as they flew across the pitch and around the stands. They seemed evenly matched in speed. If I didn't do something about Potter, there was no way we were going to win, despite how far ahead we were in points.

I accelerated towards them and followed from above, watching for any stray bludgers that could be used to my advantage. One flew by my face and I barely had time to dodge before it hit the ground and wiggled out of the small crater it had made. Looking around, I noticed the twins flying together not far off. So they were making a game within the game, were they?

I readjusted my grip on the club and prepared for the next bludger to come at me. If I could make it look like I was acting in self defense, no one would question me when it hit Potter. All it would take was one hit and he would be out for the game and possibly the next week or two, leaving Draco to take the snitch and Slytherin to advance in the House Cup.

I veered up and watched them weave around the goalposts, close to the sand, and positioned myself so that I would be in the perfect spot to end the game.

I saw the bludger coming out of the corner of my eye and ducked, swinging under my broom and using my free hand to hit it in the general direction of Harry Potter. I heard a sickening crunch and gasps from the crowd before cheering erupted.

I looked around, still in the sloth position, to see Draco holding the snitch, his fist in the air. Potter, however, was on the ground, a heap of quidditch robes. I had achieved my goal.

"Oops," I heard the twins say.

"Yeah, you better believe it!" I yelled at them.

"Whatever." George said as he passed me.

"We'll get you eventually, Morvant." Fred followed him.

"Good luck with that!" I yelled.

I joined the rest of the team on the ground only to be immediately picked up by them. I wasn't very accustomed to having people hold me like that. It was slightly disturbing. But nonetheless, the rest of Slytherin house ran onto the field to join us in our celebration while the Gryffindors gathered around their injured seeker.

"And Slytherin wins the match!" the announcer yelled.

I smiled to myself. I had done my job for the day. Sev wasn't going to kill me and Potter was injured almost beyond repair.

That night, there was a party in the common room. Most of the time I was just sitting there, going along with everything and occasionally being hoisted up onto someone's shoulders, during which time I would just smile, cheer, and act like I knew what was going on.

When we were back to having classes on Monday and I actually got to observe the Gryffindors, I noticed that with the exception of my favorite red-headed twins, they all seemed rather gloomy.

"Poor sports," I commented at breakfast as I sank my teeth into a sausage. Their table was absolutely seething with depression. You could almost _see_ the waves of hatred coming off them.

Draco glanced up from the paper. "Yeah."

"You going to Hogsmeade next Saturday?"

"Of course. Aren't you?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss out on an opportunity like that."

"This is a rather pathetic excuse for a paper," he sneered as he closed it angrily. "All they talk about it Umbridge and Potter. Nothing about the Dark Lord returning."

"That's what reporters do," I said. "They tell you about what they find important. Besides, it's under the control of the Ministry."

He just nodded.

"How's our favorite green and silver snake?" I turned to see the Weasley twins standing behind me.

Draco just sighed heavily.

"You two are still so happy," I said. "Why? Are you impervious to defeat?"

"Not at all," Fred sat down on my left while George took the other side, forcing Draco over.

"We just realize that there's more to life than quidditch, strange as it might seem." George said.

"Harry gave us the winnings he got from the Triwizard tournament last year and we want to open a joke shop," Fred smiled. "Are you in?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. Just as long as it's not something dangerous to my health."

"Meaning…?" they both asked.

"Meaning that you're not going to test any new products on me."

"Oh Bandit, why would you think something as awful as that?" George asked. "You've offended us."

"I'm sure," I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Now move, I have to get to class."

"Ah, potions with the dear cousin?" they stood and followed me out.

"Yes. I'm his apprentice, mind you. I have to get there early."

"What horrible draught did you make this time? Something deadly? Or something completely useless?"

"It's a very helpful potion," I retorted as they continued to follow me as I descended into the dungeons. "Don't you two have lives to attend to?"

"We might ask you the same thing," George said.

"Well yeah, I have a life…I'm Sev's apprentice."

"You mean you actually _like _spending all your time in the dungeons with him?" Fred asked.

I turned to look at them. We were right outside the potions door. "It's not that bad. Besides, he's my cousin. And I'll have you know that Hexwood is very strict about who you can form an apprenticeship with--"

"Yeah, yeah. We know." George waved me away.

"But anyway, are you planning on attending the Hogsmeade trip next weekend?" Fred continued.

"Yes, but I won't go if you two keep pestering me." I said exasperatedly. "Now run along and prank Filch or something."  
"Right-o. Off we go then, Fred. Wouldn't want to anger the Slytherin and end up like the countless others she's mauled."

They bounded back up the stairs and were out of sight before I could say anything else. I just sighed and walked into the potions room to find Sev sitting as his desk, as usual.

"Bandit," he said without looking up.

"Hi, Sev." I sat on one of the tables in the front row. "What's new?"

"I was quite pleased with your performance in the quidditch pitch yesterday," he commented. "And I'm confident that you will lead Slytherin to victory this year."

I smiled. "I will." I absentmindedly began rubbing the scarred letters on the back of my hand from my detention with Umbridge.

He saw the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his full attention to me. "Oh God…what has that woman done to you?"

"I—nothing," I lied.

"It doesn't look like nothing. Did she use a blood quill?" he stood up and walked over to me to inspect my hand.

I nodded. "Can't we poison her?"

"When the time is right, of course we can, Bandit. But not at the moment. Just wait a bit."

I sighed. I wanted to kill Umbridge so badly. But I suppose he did have a point…if we killed her now the entire Ministry would be harping on it and eventually utter chaos would erupt. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind for the future of the school.


	7. Chapter 6

**_A/N I don't really have much to say except thank you to everyone who's reviewed. As usual, I'd like to thank for being my co-author for both of my stories. So enjoy this next chapter!_**

Six

That weekend, I traveled to Hogsmeade for the first time. Of course I had a signed permission slip—why wouldn't I? Filch collected it with the others and the twins and I walked to the village along with the dozens of other students making their way there.

"We _have _to go to Zonko's Joke Shop," Fred informed me as we neared the town.

"And we'll buy you butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks." George said.

"Don't forget the Shrieking Shack,"

"And Honeyduke's Sweetshop."

"Okay, okay. I get that you're going to give me a full tour. But what's the Shrieking Shack? It sounds…interesting, to say the least." I smiled.

"Some say that it's cursed," Fred crept behind me. "It's considered the most haunted building in all of Great Britain."

"People believe that it's riddled with violent spirits," George said.

"Pfft. It was probably just a werewolf or something." I crossed my arms. "I bet there's nothing sinister about it."

They shrugged. "Well then, see for yourself."

"Maybe I will."

As we walked into the peaceful little village, I was directed into the joke shop. Inside, it was amazing. They sold almost everything I could think of—self-shuffling playing cards, Filibuster Fireworks, stink pellets, gobstones, non-explodable luminous balloons, hiccup sweets, dung bombs, and of course, nose biting teacups. Can't have a joke shop without vicious teacups.

"If only we had our own shop," George said as he looked over a few shelves of fireworks.

"In due time, George. Good old Bandit here will help us with that, won't you?" Fred put his arm around my shoulders and I sighed.

"Come on then, let's go for some butterbeer!"

I found myself being steered out of the shop and across the street to The Three Broomsticks. Inside, the pub was crawling with Hogwarts students ordering butterbeer and chattering with each other.

George grabbed my arm and led me to a table where Ron and what's-her-face-Granger were sitting--Hermione? Yes, that was it—while Fred went to get us some butterbeer.

"Hello, dear Ronnykins!" he said happily. "Harry out of the hospital wing yet?"

"No," Ron gave me a dirty look. "Thanks to _someone _he's stuck there for a bit longer."

I shrugged. "Quidditch isn't everything and I think you're all horrible sports. Besides, don't you think it's about time Slytherin got back to beating you at something?"

"Drinks are on me!" Fred said as he returned with the butterbeer. I took a cup from him and drank it slowly. It was amazing.

"Your hand," Hermione said, leaning forward. "She used the blood quill on _you_?"

I glanced down at the letters that still scrawled across the back of my right hand and nodded. "You should have realized that I'm hardly Umbridge's favorite student. It's only a matter of time before she takes over."

"Dumbledore wouldn't let that happen," Ron argued. "There no way she could--"

"She can, Ron." Hermione cut him off. "The Ministry has given her all the power. Dumbledore can't overtake them. Before long, she'll be in command."

There was a moment of grave silence. Despite that I was a Slytherin among Gryffindors, I was on their side about this. Umbridge was eventually going to take over and when she did, what were we supposed to do? Just sit back and watch as she covered the school in pink doilies and made the kittens into teachers? That wasn't going to happen.

"Well, we—we'll think of something," Ron said stupidly. "We'll have to."

"Yeah, like what?" I asked. I shook my head grimly. "There's nothing we can do at the moment. When she _does _take over, then yeah, I'm sure there'll be _something_, but right now…."

"Well, you could always go and attack her," Ron pointed out.

"We don't want to provoke a war, Ronald." Hermione said. "But Bandit's right; we can't do anything now. We have no idea what things will be like when she _does _take command of the school. We just have to wait and see."

"Right, yeah. Wait until that old hag kills someone and we can finally get rid of her for child abuse."

"Oh, silly Ron!" Fred said. "Umbridge won't kill anyone. She _wants _to stay in power."

"Not to mention that dear old Cornelius would be stalked by reporters day and night. He can't use the bad publicity." George agreed. "No, she won't kill anyone…torture discreetly, yes, but not kill."

Hermione let out a sigh. "I still can't believe the Minister's denying all this…."

"Fear does weird things to you," I said.

"He thinks Dumbledore is building an army," Ron said skeptically.

"Well then, let him think that. It'll be good for him to actually get a bit of a thought process going in that thick head of his."

"You're really a very hostile person, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know. I went to Hexwood."

Amazingly, during the next trip to Hogsmeade, the Golden Trio held a meeting in the Hog's Head, a quiet little pub off of the main street. I followed the twins out of curiosity and leaned against the doorway through the entire meeting.

"Hi," Hermione said, looking around at the gathering of people. "So…you all know why we're here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."

"If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed--" someone said. Who was Diggory? I really didn't care, but at the same time I wanted to know.

Harry stood. "I'm not going to talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here you might as well clear out. Come on Hermione let's go, they're all staring at me like I'm some sort of freak." He tried to run but was interrupted.

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus charm?" Luna asked. A Patronus? Really? Was something like that a big deal around here?

Harry was silent and she continued to look at him insistently.

"Yes," Hermione said finally. "I've seen it."

"Blimey Harry," someone else said. "I didn't know you could do that."

Wow.

"Facing this stuff in real life isn't like school," Harry looked around at everyone. "In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow. But out there, when you're a second away from being murdered, or watching a friend die right before your eyes—you don't know what that's like."

I noticed that a girl by the name of Cho Chang looked like she was about to cry. Was it because of that Cedric guy? Really, now. It seemed like he was long dead and gone.

Harry sat back down.

"You're right Harry, we don't." Hermione said. "That's why we need your help. Because if we're going to have any chance of beating…Voldemort--" she seemed to have quite a bit of trouble saying his name.

"He's really back?" a kid asked.

"Of course he's back," I butted in. Everyone turned to stare at me.

"What are _you _doing here?" a Gryffindor I had yet to meet looked at me with hatred in his eyes. "Slytherin."

"I might ask you the same thing," I retorted. "Gryffindor."

"Reptile!"  
"Feline!"  
"Cold-blooded green and silver snake!"

"Warm-blooded red and gold lion."

"Freak!"

"Coward."

"Would you two just SHUT UP?!" Hermione yelled. I shut my mouth and turned away importantly. "Thank you. And Bandit Morvant has the same right as anyone to be here right now. We all know that Umbridge is High Inquisitor of the school and she's been torturing people, for Merlin's sake! Can't you just put your prejudices aside for once and realize that she could be just as good of a teacher to us as Harry?"

She gave me a look that signified that she was planning on forcing me to act as the head of their little club if Harry backed out. Great.

"She's going to tell Umbridge everything now," the Gryffindor said. "We're doomed."

"I'm not going to run to her with my tail between my legs," I hissed. "_I_ was one of the first one's she tortured. _I _was one of the first one's that stood up against her and _I'm _from Hexwood International. So I'd suggest that you either join this club and devote all of your godforsaken time to it or you leave now before the real pain begins!"

Surprisingly, not only did he fall quiet, but he also stood up and left. I hadn't really counted on that.

"Great job, now we've lost a potential member," Ron glared at me and I only shrugged.

"Are _you _planning on teaching us then?" someone asked.

"Not if I can escape it. Besides, none of you have the real talent it takes to be trained like you would where I come from." I paced in front of them and studied my nails.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that none of you are powerful enough to even _attempt_ the kind of magic that's going to bring the Dark Lord down." I said. "Umbridge, on the other hand…."

"We're better than you think we are," someone snarled.

"Oh really? Then prove it. Start this little club of yours. Keep it hidden. I'll check up on you from time to time to see how things are going." As I strode out, I heard Hermione begin talking again. I was definitely going to hear about this again.

The days passed by quickly and before I knew it Halloween, my favorite holiday, was upon us. As I sat between Fred and George at dinner, surrounded by floating jack-o-lanterns, I told stories about celebrating at Hexwood.

"Well, since the school's right there by Azkaban, every year at Halloween they allowed the more well-behaved prisoners to come to Hexwood and feast with us," I said with a smile. A few of the First Year Gryffindors inched away slightly.

"They let mass criminals into the school?" Hermione asked from her place across from me. "Isn't that a bit…risky?"

"Not really. With so many well-trained teachers and students right there, it would be kind of pointless to try to run or something." I explained.

"Who came to the feast then? You said only the well-behaved prisoners could attend." Harry said. Strangely enough, after the quidditch match, we had been on speaking terms. I didn't get it.

"Well, long term visitors were Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius Black."

He turned slightly paler. "Y-you knew Sirius?"

"Of course. I accidentally flew into his cell during my first quidditch practice and couldn't get back out. It's a one-way window, see. I had to wait for one of the Dementors to come along to get me, so we struck up a conversation during that time."

He just nodded. Of course Sirius had mentioned him once or twice; after all, he was Harry's godfather. Godfather's normally talk about their godchildren. But Harry seemed rather put-off by it…was it perhaps because I had taken something away from him that he thought only he had?

"Bellatrix Lestrange?" Ron asked. "Isn't she a bit…well…you know…."

"Insane? Yes. It's quite obvious that she was only holding on to life because she was counting on the Dark Lord's return. And oh, look at that, he's back." I took a sip of pumpkin juice. "But anyway…don't you celebrate at all here?"

"Only with the feast," George said.

"Rather dull, isn't it?" Fred asked. "Although I suppose the decorations are _something_…."

"Yeah, a bit. Back at Hexwood, Halloween was the biggest day of the year. I remember one time when Bella got so drunk she was actually hitting on Sirius."

They all stared at me.

"Yeah, it was pretty funny. Then when she became sober again we told her and ever since she's wanted to kill him." I sighed as I spotted Umbridge surveying the entire area. "She just won't quit, will she?"

"Nope." The twins said.

"After she ordered that all clubs be disbanded, she's been stalking around every chance she's gotten." Hermione informed me.

I had, of course, been aware of Umbridge's slowly gaining control of the school. It was only a matter of time now before she took over.

"Yeah, whatever. So how's your club coming along?" I asked nonchalantly.

"It's fine, thanks." Harry said somewhat coldly. "Though we've received no help from_ someone_."

"I know, I'm sorry—you know I've been busy with potions and such. But I'd be happy to whip up a quick Draught of Living Death for you to make up for it." I tried to smile apologetically but I failed and ended up looking slightly deranged.

"Right…." Ron said. "Anyways…how're Malfoy and the Inquisitorial Squad doing? You haven't joined them, have you?"

I glared at him. "I would _never _be caught helping that toad. But as far as I can tell, they've gotten nowhere. And I could care less if they caught you all, so…I won't tell them. But I won't actually help you either."

"I thought you said that you were going to," Ginny Weasley said.

"Oh, never take a Slytherin seriously." George told her.

"Well, I _was _planning on going and checking up on you, but then I started getting really swamped with potions work. So I can't. Sorry if that's a disappointment to you."

"Yes, because we all need a Slytherin creeping around." Ron rolled his eyes.

I smiled. "Of course you do. But I'm not going to interrupt your 'wonderful' training progress."

The Golden Trio glared at me and my smile widened. Around us, I noticed people turning to stare at the Slytherin that had wandered over into Gryffindor territory. There was nothing that said I couldn't be here, so I had been trying to ignore their gazes. But it was getting harder as time went on. I guess they were just going to have to learn to deal with it on their own, because if I wanted to stay with the twins then I would and no one was going to be able to tell me otherwise.


	8. Chapter 7

**_A/N Alright, so the reason for this story not being updated in at least two weeks is that we've been extremely busy with flying across the country and flights being delayed and things generally going rather slowly. Then when everyone was finally back in their places we got swamped with work and had to deal with everything else before we could finally edit this and get it posted. So here it finally is, chapter seven, in all it's glory! Please enjoy._**

Seven

Divination was a worthless class as far as I was concerned. Why was I even taking it? Oh, right. Because my dear friend Kimberly back at Hexwood had made me promise that I would actually try to make a real prediction for once. Just because _she_ could efficiently tell people what they would end up doing three months/years in advance didn't mean that anyone else could.

But, lucky for me, it didn't seem like I would have to undergo this class anymore. As far as I could tell, Professor Trelawny was being investigated by Umbridge herself. Why exactly I didn't know. The bad part of that deal was the fact that the toad woman herself had frequently been visiting my divination classes, claiming that it was just "the most convenient time for me to come, of course (insert spine-chilling giggle here)."

I couldn't help but feel suspicious that she was there because she was also trying to watch me. I had been attempting to be as silent as I could through most of my Defense Against the Dark Arts classes in order to avoid having another detention with Umbridge, but every once in a while I couldn't stand her and either stormed out to go visit Sev and help him teach his other classes or stood up, said something against the toad, and accepted my punishment.

And all through November, Umbridge had practically been stalking me. More than once I caught one of the kittens from her office sitting in the corner of a painting as I passed by on my way to my next class or returned to the common room.

It was unnerving.

The only thing I really had to look forward to was my birthday at the beginning of December. Hopefully, if the teachers hadn't been giving too much homework and everyone had stayed sane after I left Hexwood, I would receive at least a card and letter from my old friends. The only things that kept me at Hogwarts were the twins, Sev, Cousin Draco, and the fact that I still wanted to poison Umbridge.

"Broaden your minds, everyone, and look at the tea leaves with your inner eye." Trelawny said dramatically as she walked around our tables.

I sighed and looked at the teacup in front of me. All I saw were dark blobs of tea leaves. There was nothing special about dark blobs, unless you were seeing them when you shouldn't have been; if that was indeed the case, then chances are you should probably see a doctor of some kind.

"Bandit? What do you see?" Trelawny asked as she came around behind me. The class fell silent, obviously waiting for me to say something interesting. Most of them knew that I was a failure at predicting the future, and I wouldn't be surprised if I heard them laughing quietly.

"Uh…." I stared harder into the cup. "Well, that could be…I'd say that there's a dagger, which means danger, and over there is an egg, which is a good omen, so just from that I'd say that at some point I'm going to get attacked but it'll be a good thing. Then that could be interpreted as a fence, meaning limitations and setbacks…and then that's a ladder, meaning a promotion of some kind, so overall after I'm attacked but happy about it something's going to stop me in my tracks but I'll be…promoted."

I was going to kill Kimberly the next time I saw her.

"Well done, Miss Morvant!" she said happily. "I think you may have the true ability after all!"

I let out a sigh of relief as she walked away to bother someone else. I had made the entire thing up. In reality, the "ladder" looked more like a simple line. There was nothing ladder-like about it.

I couldn't help but wonder if anyone else in the room could actually predict anything of any importance or if it was all just made up.

"Did you actually see any of that?" Luna asked from behind me.

I shook my head. "Not at all."

"Well then, I think it was a wonderful work of fiction."

"Thanks, Luna."

"Anytime. Oh, and watch out for the nargles. They're everywhere." She smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Can you read my tea leaves? Just for a bit of fun. I'd like to see if any of it comes true."

She handed me her teacup and I stared into it blankly. "Well…let's say that that's a bird…and maybe…a horseshoe?"

Umbridge cleared her throat with a giggle and we all looked at her.

"It would seem that none of you has made any real predictions at all this year," she said sweetly.

"Oh, b-but we have!" Professor Trelawny said desperately. She turned to look at us. "Someone, make a prediction! _And hurry!" _she mouthed the last part so that Umbridge wouldn't know.

I really didn't think the poor woman deserved to lose her job. She was, after all, just being herself. Firing her would be like firing me. Just rather pointless and cruel. Not that I could actually be fired, of course, because I had the entire Malfoy family on my side, not to mention Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sev, and several convicts at Azkaban, which really weren't a help at all but could come in handy if I needed someone taken care of and didn't want to do the job myself.

So what did I do? I came up with a fake prediction.

As Umbridge looked around at us, obviously waiting for something, I closed my eyes and thought. What could I say that would convince her? I had nothing. So what did I do? I rambled on about less important things that were bound to come true.

"Wait!" I said. Everyone stopped. "I see something…I see…at tomorrow's breakfast, something horrible will happen to you!"

I could make that happen.

"Miss Morvant, I was looking for a real prediction, thank you." She said.

"Um…you're in grave danger?" I smiled lamely. It was always worth a shot to predict someone's death. "And your funeral will be small."

Trelawny smiled at me encouragingly and gave me a thumbs-up.

"And—and you'll soon be exposed to more terror than you ever thought imaginable," I continued. "Before which you will have eaten banana-cream pie at breakfa--"

"That is lovely, Bandit. Well, I think I've seen the true power of the divination class. I'll be going now." she smiled and turned to leave.

"No! Wait!" Trelawny said. "I see—I see the same fate Miss Morvant described!"

Umbridge looked at us. "Lovely."

Well, Professor Trelawny was doomed.

I made it through the rest of my classes without seeing Umbridge again until I had Defense Against the Dark arts, which, being her class, she was teaching.

I don't think I even came close to learning anything through the entire session and instead found myself carving pictures and sentences into the table I was sitting at. I wrote several reminders for the twins, who had the class right after I did and normally sat in the same spot, as well as extra tips for making small amounts of the Draught of Peace, just because I felt like incorporating potions into the rest of my school life.

"Miss Morvant, would you like to share your thoughts on this discussion?" I looked up to see Umbridge standing in front of me.

"Uh…what are we talking about again?" I asked.

"Meet with me for detention tonight."

I sighed in frustration. "No."

She blinked several times. "What?"

"I said _no. _AndI don't see how giving one person detention is going to help you silence the rest of the Wizarding world. I mean, really now, how far are you planning on getting with this whole 'the Dark Lord is not returning and never will!' thing? If you ask me, I'd say that your time is just about up as far as being a teacher here goes. You're not going to last longer than this year."

"And why is that?" she asked sweetly.

"Oh, don't act stupid! I know that you're going to try to completely take over soon, we _all _know. But trust me, despite the fact that Hogwarts isn't the best school in the world, it does have its advantages, such as Defense Against the Dark Arts post being jinxed. I've heard stories, let me tell you--"

"That is enough, Miss Morvant!" she snapped. "Double detention."

I rolled my eyes.

"Excuse me?" she blinked pointedly several times.

"Didn't say anything," I gritted my teeth and looked at the floor next to me.

"And that is exactly the problem. When I tell you that you have double detention, you will answer 'Yes, Professor' or 'No, Professor'. If you are going to insult me, at least do it politely."

For a brief moment I stared at her, trying to process what I'd just heard. Then I shook my head, picked up my bag, and walked out, heading towards the dungeon where I knew Sev would give me something constructive to do.

I walked in on a class of Second Year Gryffindor and Hufflepuffs. I didn't seem to have interrupted anything important, because Sev was just snapping at someone for something. So I simply walked over to his desk and sat behind it.

As they all started making whatever potion it was he had assigned, he strode over and looked at me crossly.

"You can't keep throwing yourself out of class, Bandit." He said.

"She made me. You have it easy, you get to stay down here while she's wandering around up there stalking people, but I have to deal with that—that—bitchy toad!" I crossed my arms and huffed. I couldn't stand Umbridge any longer. I needed to poison her or go insane.

"You'll have your chance to poison her," he shooed me out of the chair and took my spot. "But so long as you're down here you should do some work. Go to the greenhouses and fetch whatever ingredients we're running low on. Here's a list."

He handed me a small piece of parchment and I sighed before trudging back up the stairs and outside to the Herbology greenhouses. I found Professor Sprout tending to the plants in Greenhouse One and approached her.

She heard me and turned around only to almost immediately return to her work. "Hello, Miss Morvant. What has Severus sent you to get this time?"

I frequently visited her to obtain various potion ingredients for my own use, Sev's personal stores, or the normal classes, and she knew I wasn't going to attack her. She was one of the few people that seemed willing to believe that not all Slytherins were bad.

I handed her the list and she looked it over. "Well, can't say this is _too _demanding. Come on." She walked away and I followed, gathering up the various plants and plant parts I had been instructed to retrieve.

"So how are you fairing in your Defense Against the Dark Arts classes?" she asked nonchalantly.

I shrugged. "Same as the last time I told you."

"That Umbridge really is horrible, isn't she? The Headmaster should have gotten rid of her months ago…though he can't really do anything about it, can he? The Ministry sent her. Not to mention that most of the Wizarding world is already against he and Potter…sacking a Ministry-approved teacher would just fuel more rumors and allow Fudge to rant a bit more about how Dumbledore is lying and You-Know-Who hasn't returned and how everything is fine and there's no reason to be concerned for our health…."

She rambled on for a while after that and by the time I was finally allowed to leave I had missed my entire next class. It was apparently Professor Sprout's break time, which would explain why she wasn't teaching. She must get lonely with only the magical plants in the greenhouses to talk to. I made a mental note to buy her a house elf for Christmas.

As I was walking back upstairs to dinner after delivering the ingredients to Sev, I spotted Hermione Granger making her lonely way through the corridor to the Great Hall. She seemed rather angry so, naturally, I ended up having a long discussion with her concerning the idiocy of the Ministry of Magic. Really, once you get past the fact that she tends to dislike most if not all Slytherins and is therefore slightly prejudiced against me, she's not that bad of a person.

"—and I was wondering if you were planning on coming to one of our meetings," she said. "You obviously know more than Harry. You could be a huge help to us."

I shrugged. "I wasn't really going to…."

"Oh, come on. Why not?" she pulled me to the side as a few people walked by and lowered her voice. "You want to get rid of Umbridge just as bad as I do and you've had the training that's taught you how. We need your help."

"Well," I said a bit hesitantly, "I suppose…"

"Wonderful! That's gr--"

A small giggle interrupted her and we turned to see Umbridge standing n the other side of the hallway. She strode forward and looked at us sternly.

"Miss Morvant, I expect you haven't forgotten our detention session after dinner?" she asked.

"Of course not, how could I?" sarcasm dripped through my voice. "There's nothing I would rather do with my time than spend it with you, carving bloody letters into the back of my hand."

"Wonderful," she smiled. "I'll expect to see you then. And if you try to run, let it be known that I have informants everywhere. And whatever it is that you and your little friends are planning, I'll find out. Trust me."

With that, she walked away. I shivered. She was so creepy.

"So you'll come to the next meeting?" Hermione asked as soon as Umbridge was out of sight.

"I guess," I said.

"Great! Just ask the twins. They'll know when it'll be. I'll see you at dinner." she walked off toward the Great Hall and I followed at a distance.

Dinner was rather uneventful. I spent half of it with the Slytherins before migrating over to where Luna was at the Ravenclaw table and having a lengthy discussion about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks after which I made my way over to the Gryffindors and finally realized that most of the Hufflepuffs seemed to hate me, judging by the glares I received while walking past them.

After dinner, Umbridge caught up with me as I was exiting the Great Hall and escorted me to her office for detention.

"Why do you go out of your way to make my life so miserable?" she asked as we walked up the stairs. "Do you find joy in it, Miss Morvant?"

"To be truthful, I do." I answered. "I really do." There was no point in denying it.

"Why? You think that lying about such serious subjects as the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is funny or something?"

"'Course not. Because I'm not lying. You're the ones that are lying. And most of the members in your little Inquisitorial Squad know that I'm right. They're just playing along with you because they know it will help their Death Eater parents."

She looked at me severely. "He is not back, Bandit. And nothing you say will convince me. Dumbledore put you up to this didn't he? Hm? Didn't he? I should have known. That was the only reason you came to Hogwarts, wasn't it? To infect our minds with your radical ideas. But I see what's going on, and you're not going to fool me. I'm too smart for you."

She had completely lost it. She was even stupider than I had originally thought. Not only was she insane, but she was extremely paranoid as well. Great. Because everyone needs a crazy Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that dresses only in pink, looks like a toad, and has an army of kittens at their disposal.

She shoved me through the door to her office and forced me to sit down in a chair as she prepared a pot of tea.

She sat down across from me and sighed, rubbing her temples. "Do you finally understand what you have done wrong this time?"

I made myself look up at her. "I didn't do anything wro--"

I felt the sting of her nails as she struck me across the face and I tasted blood.

"You have made countless errors this year, Miss Morvant, and it is my job to tell you how you can solve your numerous problems." She sat back in her chair and poured herself a cup of tea.

"My only problem right now is _you,_" I growled.

She ignored me and spooned sugar into the teacup. "Why don't you tell me about your family?"

"Why?"

She looked at me sweetly. "So that I can help you, of course. You are obviously a very troubled youth, Bandit."

I rolled my eyes and looked at the pink ceiling. "My parents are very loving people and I have no siblings."

"Really? What family do you belong to?"

I hissed. She wasn't going to leave me alone and shut up, was she? I didn't _want _to tell her anything. She didn't need to know so much about my family. But could it really hurt if I told her that Lucius Malfoy was my uncle? Probably not. If anything, it could possibly help me. Uncle Lucius wasn't a stupid man. If Umbridge ran to him screaming about how horrible I was, he would ignore her. And why? Because I was a member of the Malfoy family that hadn't been disowned.

"Well, we're a family of Purebloods, as you may know. My father is Abraxas Malfoy's oldest son, Lucius being his younger brother."

"So then why is your last name Morvant if you are a direct member of the Malfoy family, hm?" she sipped her tea.

"It doesn't concern you. Really, I would rather be writing lines than having a conversation with you right now…."

She put the teacup down. "Alright then. Do as you wish. Here's a quill and some parchment. Write three pages consisting of nothing more than the sentence 'I Must Not Be Impolite'."

I did as she told me to just because I was eager to leave her presence. If she was satisfied with the amount of torture I went through, it would mean I would get to see less of her. The sight of my bloody hand would also aid me in my quest to rid the school of Umbridge; if I made it public knowledge that this was what she did during detention sessions, the Ministry would get so many complaints and so many people would turn to Dumbledore's side that the toad would have no power over anyone and therefore she would be unable to tell me what to do.

The only flaw in this plan was that I had to go through the torture first.

For two hours I struggled through the writing. When I had finished the first time, I showed her the parchment and was halfway to the door when she called me back and insisted I do it all over again because the words were too close together. I tried to open the door anyway only to discover it to be efficiently locked with not only your standard methods of locking but also numerous spells that could take me hours to decipher and get rid of.

So I continued writing.

And writing.

And writing some more.

Until I was screaming in agony because my hand hurt so much. By the time I was finally allowed to go, uncontrollable tears of pain were streaming down my face. I tore from the room and only stopped when I was two floors down from where Umbridge lurked in her office.

I looked at my freshly blood-covered hand and grimaced at the crimson liquid dripping from it. I was always horrible in my healing classes back at Hexwood. I could hardly even fix a tiny scrape, much less something like _this_.

Feeling the cold stone wall at my back, I slid down and hit the floor, sitting there miserably. It wasn't that I couldn't go any further; it was just that I didn't _want _to. I wasn't currently in the mood to go and be surrounded by other people in the Slytherin common room.

So what did I do? I moped.

I wanted to be the one to take Umbridge down. And to do so, I could use the club Potter had started. They could help me. And who was in charge of Umbridge? The Minister himself. After getting rid of her, I could go after him and that would solve a good portion of the problems in the Wizarding world nowadays.

I heard someone crouch down in front of me and looked up into the familiar face of Fred Weasley. George was next to him, as usual.

"You got detention again?" Fred asked, picking up my hand and inspecting it.

"This is the worst I've seen yet," George said.

I sighed. "Can we kill her?"

"Don't you think that it would be better…" Fred began.

"…if you waited and found a way to torture her back?" George finished.

"I'll kill her slowly."

They both smiled. "Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin."


	9. Chapter 8

**_A/N *Awkward laughter* So...sorry for not...erm...uploading anything in a while.... I apologize from the depths of my soul. It's been busy lately (that's my only excuse). So with that out of the way, as usual I'm sorry for any grammatical errors. If you have any questions, message me. I don't really have anything else to say at this point...please review. I enjoy reading reviews. It makes me feel happy to read them. Enjoy!_**

Eight

My birthday approached quickly and during the days that led up to it I almost forgot about the constant threat Umbridge posed to my well being. Throughout her gradual rise to power over the past month she seemed to be bothering me less and less and focusing on other, more time-consuming things.

On the first morning of December, I fell out of bed and sprang to my feet. It was my sixteenth birthday.

I felt extremely old while thinking about it.

I dressed, changed my hair color to neon purple, and ran into the common room. I found Draco standing there, holding a small black box topped with a black bow. I snatched it from him and started feverishly trying to untie the bow.

"Happy birthday," he said.

I finally managed to get the lid off to reveal a silver ring sporting a rather large but not too gaudy chunk of black onyx.

"I found it in Knockturn Alley. It's supposed to help you focus and let go of stress. I figured you'd want it for potions." He explained.

I slipped it onto my finger and marveled at it. "Thanks, Draco," I hugged him and he tolerated it for about three point six seconds before finally noticing the stares of other people lingering in the common room and he began desperately attempting to pry me away.

When I finally let go, he cleared his throat, straightened his shoulders, and called for Crabbe and Goyle. They appeared out of nowhere and together the three exited the common room.

I smiled to myself and followed them into the corridor. I rounded a corner to find Fred and George standing there, George holding a large box.

"Happy birthday," they said, grinning. George handed the box to me and I opened it suspiciously, afraid that whatever was inside was explosive, poisonous, rabid, aggressive, cursed, jinxed, boggart-like, or all at once.

Instead, I found four bottles filled with an unmistakable liquid.

"Four bottles of…love potion," I glared at them. "Do I even want to know? And what makes you think I would _need _four bottles worth of love potion? Are you _suggesting_ something? Because I'll have you know, I'm perfectly capable of--"

"Right then, Fred," George cut me off, turning to his brother. "Pay up."

Fred reluctantly reached into his pocket and brought out a sickle. "There you are. Now then, here's the real present."

He waved his wand and another, slightly smaller box appeared in front of me. I put the love potion down and opened this one, still afraid of something jumping out and biting me. This time, however, I found a large number of wet-start no-heat Filibuster Fireworks and several different kinds of special Weasley's Wares candies, such as ton-tongue toffees and puking pastilles.

"Thanks guys," I said, beaming up at them. "Really." I pulled them both into a group hug. "But seriously…what am I supposed to do with so much love potion?"

Fred shrugged. "You could always give it to Umbridge I suppose."

"Yes," I smiled maniacally as we started walking towards the Great Hall for breakfast. "Yes—that's perfect. I think I will later today."

"Or you could sell it." George said.

"It'll go for high prices among Slytherin girls, I'm sure; especially Pansy Parkinson…she'll pay a fortune for some to use on Dear Draco." Fred agreed.

"I really can't say that I totally approve of that, but--"

"Happy birthday, Bandit," I was interrupted by Luna as she stopped in front of us. She gave me something resembling a duck call, such as those used by hunters, tied to a cord, such as one you wear around your neck. "It's a crumple-horned snorkack call," she explained. "I made it myself."

"Thanks, Luna."

"Just what everyone needs," George said cheerfully. "Try it out."

"Oh, it won't work now. It's only effective at night, when the tide is high and the moon is in its first quarter." Luna said. She lowered her voice "It'll also keep the nargles away."

"Of course it will," Fred muttered.

"I love it," I said truthfully, slipping the cord over my head to wear it around my neck. "Thanks."

"Course," she smiled and pushed open the doors to the Great Hall. "Better get some breakfast."

As usual, I headed over to the Slytherin table to sit next to Draco. As I was eating a piece of toast, a beautiful black owl landed in front of me. Cluelessly, I grabbed the note tied to its leg and read it.

_Bandit, _it said, _happy birthday! Your father finally agreed to let me buy you this owl as your present. His name is Archimedes. We found him in a lovely little shop in Knockturn Alley, the one that sells all sorts of dark animals…you know the one I'm talking about. Take care of him. Now, enough about that…how's school? And your apprenticeship with Severus? What about the other teachers? It's so quiet without you destroying things at home…I miss you, dear. You simply must write back soon. Much love and many wishes, Mother._

"What's that?" Draco asked, leaning over to read it. "Ah. So you finally have your own owl…."

I folded the letter back up and put it in my pocket. "His name is Archimedes."

"I _can _read, you know."

"Oh really? Could've fooled me." I smiled and he rolled his eyes.

"Bandit," I turned to see Sev standing behind me. "Happy Birthday." He handed me a fancy looking dagger. "That's an obsidian dagger with a silver hilt. You can't find anything better for potions making."

"Thanks, Sev!" I said.

"Don't hurt yourself with it."

"I won't."

"And don't kill anyone with it unless it's either Potter, Weasley, or you're acting in self-defense."

"Of course,"

He turned and strode up to his seat among the other teachers and I looked at the dagger. The blade was jet black and smooth, tapering down to a wicked point at the end. The hilt was in the shape of two snakes twisted around each other and looking in opposite directions.

I put the dagger into my bag inconspicuously. Maybe I could use it on Umbridge during my next detention with her.

"Don't even think about it," Draco said.

"Think about what?" I asked.

"You can't kill her that easily, even if you are from Hexwood. Don't you think that the Ministry would have expected something like you to happen?"

I glared at him. "Okay then genius, what's going to keep me from killing her?"

"She's more powerful than you think. And besides, she has the entire government on her side. So if you _did _kill her then you'd have to deal with them."

I shrugged and stroked Archimedes. "Maybe you're right. And maybe not."

As he was opening his mouth to reply, another owl landed in front of me. Archimedes glared at it and retreated a few steps, backing himself into a plate of scrambled eggs.

I looked at the letter around the owl's leg and recognized the Hexwood seal. It must have come from my friends. As I ripped it open, there was a _whoosh _as a sudden, uncalled for gust of wind blew literally out of the letter. Every candle in the Great Hall went dark for a moment and flared back up. Several people screamed and most stood up to see what was happening.

And suddenly, there they were.

"Bandit!" Kimberly and Kindy squealed. They hugged me and for a moment I couldn't breathe, let alone think.

"Kimberly! Your spell didn't work!" Hadrian complained.

"How so?" they released me and I turned to see everyone else there; Hadrian, Jessie, Reese, Alice, Casey, Aron, and Draven, and, lurking back in the shadows by the wall, my favorite professor, Gabriel. He must have come along as their "chaperon".

"My luggage didn't come like you said it would," Hadrian grumbled.

"This must be Cousin Draco!" the twins, Casey and Aron, both latched onto Draco and hugged him. He just sighed.

"Bandit?" he asked.

"Yes?" I said.

"What, exactly, are these?"

"We're the Angiolo brothers!" Aron explained.

"From Milan," Casey added.

"Italy?" the Slytherin girls sitting around the table gasped and started whispering excitedly.

"That's right!" they said together.

"Oh my gosh they're so cute!" they fawned.

Reese looked around. "Did you know that Hogwarts is considered one of the best Wizarding schools in the world?"

"Yes, Reese, we know. You've been telling us random Hogwarts facts for the past three days." Alice said irritatedly.

He only shrugged.

I noticed Draven looking around miserably. He sighed and absentmindedly bit his lip ring. "Seems like I'm stuck here for the next week."

I ran up and hugged him. "Your pessimism is amazingly refreshing."

Draven has never really been the type of person that enjoys hugs. He was more of the strong, silent, completely unresponsive to any form of fluffy affection type of guy. So it made sense that he just sort of stood there quietly, waiting for me to release him.

"Erm…Bandit?" Hermione asked from behind me.

"What?" I let go of Draven and looked at her. The other members of the Golden Trio were standing beside her and Luna was walking up next to them, Fred and George behind her.

"Care to introduce us?" Luna asked happily.

"But of course," I said. "Everyone, this is Draven, Kindy, Alice, Reese, Hadrian, Jessie, Casey, and Aron. Everyone from Hexwood, this is the Golden Trio, Luna, Fred, and George."

They all just politely nodded to each other. I looked around the hall to see that almost everyone in the room was staring at us. I glared at several of them savagely and only a few turned away to continue with their breakfast.

"This is quite fascinating really," Luna said, looking around at them. "Do any of you read the _Quibbler_?"

"Miss Morvant," Professor Dumbledore said angrily as he stormed up to us. "What has just happened?"

"These are my friends from Hexwood," I explained. "They came to wish me a happy birthday."

"How did they get through our defenses?" he sounded slightly dumbfounded.

"We _are _from Hexwood," Hadrian shrugged.

"B-but--" Dumbledore stammered.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I'm Professor Gabriel," Professor Gabriel said importantly. "The Dark Arts teacher at Hexwood International. I came as their chaperone."

There were a few hushed gasps and whispers among the people that were sitting closest to us at the mention of the Dark Arts. Those who were sitting a bit further away excitedly asked each other what was happening.

"But how---that must have a very impressive transportation spell," Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully then shook his head.

"Th—the Dark Arts?" Ron asked.

Professor Gabriel turned toward him hostilely. "There is nothing wrong with immersing yourself in shadow and mystery, Mr. Weasley."

Ron took a step back. "How did you know--"

"But the Dark Arts are evil!" Harry protested.

"Not to mention that they were outlawed," Hermione added, actually coming up with facts to support her argument, unlike the other two.

"In England they were outlawed. Not in other parts of the world. It would do you some good to read up on your history."

Her nostrils flared.

"Uh-oh," George whispered.

"Did he just tell Hermione that she doesn't know enough?" Fred asked. They looked at each other fearfully.

Professor Gabriel smiled a bit. "Perhaps you should speak with Mr. Preas here. I'm sure he could teach you a thing or two about history."

Reese shuffled his feet and looked down as Hermione's soul-tearing look swung around to meet him.

"_What _is going on here?!" Umbridge screeched, immediately inserting herself into our private discussion. "This is a direct violation of--"

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Fred said, waving her away.

"Just can it for once," George added.

Her nostrils flared. "Detention, both of you!"

They shrugged. "Fine then."

She made a little scoffing noise and turned away from them to Professor Gabriel. "And you are?"

"Professor Gabriel, Dark Arts Master." He answered coldly.

"Really? From what school?"

"Hexwood International."

She screeched again. "We don't want you here!"

"I hardly think that's your decision to make."

"What? Do you know who I am?" she was shaking with anger.

"If I did I would have said something about it by now, wouldn't I?" he asked patiently, like he was trying to explain something very complicated to a very small child that didn't want to be listening to him.

"I am Dolores Jane Umbridge, Defense Against the Dark Arts professors here at our fine, sheltered, innocent Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

I snorted. Innocent? Yeah right.

The Hexwood crew all wore small smiles and were trying to hide their snickering while the Hogwarts troop was flat out laughing.

"Be quiet!" she snapped.

We plainly ignored her.

"So, Bandit," Kimberly said eagerly. "How is it here at Hogwarts?"

"Fine," I said neutrally.

"'Fine'? Just 'fine'? Come on! Think of all the wonderful things here!" Kindy exclaimed. "There's that huge forest I caught a glimpse of while we were on our way here, and the lake, and—and--"

"Hogsmeade," Reese added. "Founded over a thousand years ago by Hengis of Woodcroft when he was fleeing from muggles. To this day it is the only entirely wizard-populated village in Britain."

Hermione glared at him and he flinched slightly.

"Yeah," Kindy said. "There's Hogsmeade too."

"—and I would like to point out that you do not have the authority to decide who can stay and who should leave in this school," Professor Gabriel said to Umbridge.

"Very true, very true." Dumbledore agreed. "But I must say that I can't really permit you to be here. For all we know, you're all Death Eaters in disguise that have come to kill us and wreak havoc on the Wizarding world."

"There are no Death Eaters!" Umbridge yelled.

"Yes, yes; of course I see your concern, Headmaster. In that case, I suppose you're just going to have to trust us and our letter from the other teachers at Hexwood." He produced a folded piece of parchment from inside his robes and handed it to Dumbledore.

The old man read it over, rubbed his eyes, read it again, took off his glasses to polish them, read it a third time, then sighed and said "Would you like to come to my office and we can share some tea? I'm sure we can trust them to not destroy anything."

"Of course. Alice," he warned.

"I won't, I promise," she put her hands behind her back and smiled.

They walked off together, leaving us with Umbridge to deal with.

"I'm watching you," she said icily. "What are you looking at?" she snapped at a nearby First Year Slytherin.

Draven inched away from her.

She left after an eerie moment of silence, stalking off to her office to undoubtedly send a letter to the Ministry asking for clearance to dispose of me.

"So," Jessie said. "Is there a quidditch pitch here?"

"Of course there is," I smiled. "Come on."

"I think I'd rather stay here," Draco said as Casey and Aron let go of him.

"Me too," Ron walked away to the Gryffindor table, Potter behind him. Hermione stayed, as did Luna.

"We have to go work on new products," Fred said regretfully.

"But you haven't seen the last of us!" George called over his shoulder as they left.

I shrugged and led the way outside to the pitch.


	10. Chapter 9

_**A/N invisibledarkness13xx:We're back! You thought we were dead, didn't you? **_

_**: Well of course they do! We haven't updated in...since...well, how long has it been?**_

_**invisible: *shuffles feet* Not really sure...**_

_**raven: I think this chapter is worth it though. It's EPIC. It is EPIC.**_

_**invisible: Yes. Yes it is. However, we must warn you about the slash in the first few paragraphs. **_

_**raven: You can blame me.**_

_**invisible: Don't worry. I do. I think i'm scarred for life. I had to write it. {I'm just not a slash fan don't kill me}**_

Nine

Casey/Aron P.O.V

Next Day—Potions

We looked around at everyone walking in from lunch complaining at the seating chart we had put up only minutes before. Bandit was currently off distracting Professor Snape in the hallway so he wouldn't be able to change our seats before class started. Because of course we wouldn't want _that_. We had plans for our dear, sweet, not-so-innocent, lovable, charming, eloquent, elegant, hot, snoggable, cuddly, future boyfriend Draco. Because he _would _be ours, whether he liked it or not.

The object of our thoughts walked in just then, looking preoccupied. He glanced at the board, shook his head, sighed, and took his place in the chair inbetween us. We peeked at each other over his shoulder and scooted our chairs closer. Draco looked at us weirdly.

"So, how's _your _day going?" we asked.

"Uh…fine? How about yours?" he answered politely.

Oh, he's so cute when he's confused.

Aron reached up and played with a strand of his hair, causing him to jump back and land on Casey.

Oh, he was so cute when he was frightened.

Bandit walked in, followed by Snape. He looked questioningly at the seating chart on the board.

"Who put that up there?" he asked.

Draco jumped up. "So you didn't put that up there? Can we move then? Please?" he inquired desperately.

Our love was so adorable when he was desperate.

Snape looked at the clock and looked back at Draco. "No. Class has started. Sit back down."

He flopped down with a groan.

"Looks like your stuck with us, Drakey," we purred.

We continued fawning over him and expressing our love for him for over an hour before he finally seemed to crack. He jumped up, ran to the front of the class, slammed his hands down on Professor Snape's desk, looked him square in the eye, and said—well, nearly screamed—"Sir, may I _please _move? I am _begging _you, sir!"

Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You may if someone is willing to switch with you, as it is, there are no empty seats."

Bandit's P.O.V

"I'll do it," I offered. I had been watching the twins harass Draco for most of the class and was beginning to feel bad for him.

He mouthed "thank you" and we switched seats. I sat down between the twins and hit them both over the head with my potions book.

"Really? You can get away with that with Reese and the others, but Draco's sensitive!"

They swooned slightly. "We know,"

I shook my head and continued brewing my potion.

At the end of class, they followed Draco out like stalker puppies while my cousin shuffled speedily out the door.

"Bandit, may I see you after class?" Sev asked.

"Sure Sevvy," I said cheerfully.

"May I ask what the instance with your friends and Mr. Malfoy was?"

"Oh yeah, they just do that. That's just them."

He sighed. "How long are they staying here?"

"A week. Though, if they get _really _attached, they might transfer for the year."

"Fine. You're dismissed."

"Aw, you're being so cold lately," I said as I turned to leave for Transfiguration.

I met Kimberly outside the classroom.

"So how was Potions?" she asked.

"I should've never gone along with their plan. Draco didn't react very well to it."

"Why would you care? I thought you hated him."

"He's not so bad," I opened the door. "He's actually rather entertaining." And besides, no one deserved to go through that. "Except Reese."

"What?"

"Nothing, never mind."

She shrugged and sat down next to me.

Throughout the entire lecture, she was glaring intensely at a portrait on the wall. Her eye began twitching. The wizard inside was beginning to get nervous, I think.

I raised my hand. "Professor, may we pause this for a moment?"

McGonagall sighed. "What is it this time, Bandit?"

I motioned for Kimberly to go and she sprang up and tilted the portrait's frame slightly to the right. She came back with a smile on her face.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"No problem. Go on, Professor."

McGonagall rolled her eyes and continued with the lesson.

I met Draven in the hall outside the DADA classroom. He looked absolutely miserable. He looked at me.

"I've heard some rumors about you and Professor Umbridge," he began tiredly. "Something about you opposing everything she says."

"Well of course; she's an idiot. She has no clue what she's talking about! _I _could teach that class better than she could!"

"_Anyone _could teach that class better than she could! _**POTTER **_could teach that class better than she could!" Draco said randomly from behind me.

"Oh hi, Draco! When'd you get rid of the twins?" I asked.

They suddenly popped into existence next to his shoulders. "Draco, we thought we lost you! Those last few hallways we're very confusing. Do you have to take such a complicated route to your classes?"

Draco just sighed. "Never mind."

"We were worried about you! Were you worried about us?" they asked.

"No."

"Oh." They looked downcast for a moment when suddenly their faces brightened. "Okay! Well, shouldn't we get to class?"

They latched onto his arms and dragged him into the classroom. He turned around and mouthed "help me!"

I shrugged.

"I hate you."

I struggled through half an hour of mindless chattering that somehow passed for a lecture before Draven had finally had enough. He was slouched back in his chair which was on one leg and had his feet crossed on top of his desk.

"You're riddikulus," he said.

Umbridge stopped, turned around, and glared at him. "Excuse me?"

"This class is riddikulus."

Draco began laughing violently, gasping for air. The twins swooned.

"Your ministry is riddikulus."

Draco was currently lying on floor, rolling around clutching his stomach as he laughed soundlessly.

"And you're riddikulus again for not understanding this reference. And you call yourself a DADA teacher." He spoke sneeringly.

"Detention!" Umbridge shrieked.

"I don't go to this school."

"Deportation!"

"I don't live in this country."

"Assimilation!"

"That doesn't even make sense in this context."

"Leave!"

"Gladly."

"Miss Morvant, you leave too!"

"What?" I asked. "I didn't even do anything this time!"

"Did you think I would not know that you put him up to this?"

"What?"

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Yes?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Then leave!"

"Where do we go?"

"I don't care! Just leave! I will not have you undermining my classroom!"

I stood up and followed Draven out the door.

Professor Gabriel's P.O.V

"You have to leave," Dumbledore demanded.

"No." I said flatly. "I will not leave my students alone to suffer the stupidity of your pupils."

"I will not have someone that practices the darkest of magicks in my school!"

"You're going to have to get used to it because I'm going to have to teach a class here."

"What?"

"Hogwarts rules state that a visiting teacher must teach their subject for at least one day in the school to better enrich the cultural variety among the students."

"There is no such rule! I should know; I'm the headmaster."

I dropped the rulebook on his desk. "Chapter V, section XIII."

"Where did you get that?"

"It was in your desk."

Dumbledore just chose to ignore that comment. "You'll just have to teach something else. In case you have forgotten, the Dark Arts are illegal in Great Britain."

"Too bad. If I remember correctly, Hogwarts is not Great Britain."

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Yes it does. You're just too ignorant to understand it." I paused for a moment to take a breath and looked the headmaster straight in his twice damned twinkling eyes. "I will teach my subject to your students, whether you find it appropriate or not. I just thought it would be…nicer to warn you first."


	11. Chapter 10

_**A/N So...it's...been a while, hasn't it? It's been a while since...I've done anything on fanfiction, really. But yeah, here we are, back again! For whatever reason my love for the Harry Potter series has been rekindled so chances are I'll actually update this now and again...hopefully. I'll try my best. As always...leave reviews/comments, if you'd be so kind. I really don't care that much about getting a lot of reviews, but they make me feel like I'm not being ignored, and I enjoy reading them. And yes, I am actually really working on the next chapter! Amazing, isn't it? I think so. But I digress. Please read and enjoy!**_

Ten

"Good morning, class!" Professor Sprout shouted cheerily as she stepped into the greenhouse, her arms full of bags of fertilizer. She was met by a response of half-hearted groans and mumbles.

As she began giving instructions on the day's lesson, I looked far to my right past the line of my fellow Slytherins to where the Gryffindors were congregating. It looked like the Golden Trio had found the Puffapods and were currently trying to avoid the petals raining down on them. Sighing, I turned back to Professor Sprout.

"…..And THAT, class, is why Screechsnap does NOT like having too much manure. Now along with that…"

"Did you know that Screechsnap is actually semi-sentient?" Reese whispered from beside me. Good old Reese. Reciting random bits of history and general information at every possible chance available to him.

"Yes, Reese, I did know that. She just told us." I whispered back.

"Are you actually listening to her lecture?"

"Of course not. Why would I do that when I have you? Besides, we've already learned all of this."

"Be that as it may, if we ever have to have a test, it's going to be what she teaches, not what we've actually learned."

I knew that fact very well, especially after my first year at Hexwood after I had been home schooled for so long. I learned very quickly that it only matters what professors taught to be true rather than what was—well, at least on tests.

_FLASHBACK _

_ We were sitting in geography class, the day after a huge test. I was with Kindy and Alice. This was my first official test at Hexwood other than the entrance exams, and I was nervous. I mean, I was only seven. You couldn't blame me for it._

_ "Why do you even care?" Alice asked as I fidgeted in my chair. _

_ "Why don't you?" I inquired._

_ She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair with her feet on her desk. "Because I believe in only using my brains when the situation demands it. Otherwise, I could honestly care less. To participate in this test would be to support a flawed system. Since I don't believe in participating in anything that could be considered…flawed…" she paused "…well, you get my point."_

_ "So… you..._**didn't**_ take the test?" I asked. I couldn't understand why someone would come to Hexwood with that attitude. Hexwood was a place where people went to learn new things and study. _

_ "No, I refused to partake in such a childish labeling."_

_ Kindy leaned around Alice to look at me. "In other words, the only reason she's here is because her grandfather's the headmaster."_

_ What? Her…grandfather…was…the…headmaster??????? The headmaster of Hexwood? The _brilliant _leader of the most accomplished Wizarding School in the entire world? And here his granddaughter was, a stubborn, angry little girl of nine years old. _

_ "…Huh?" I uttered unintelligently. _

_ "Yeah. It sucks." Alice said._

_ The teacher, Mrs. Wright, suddenly phased through the wall next to the door with the stack of tests floating beside her through the doorway, her boring face bearing the same old plain expression of a teacher that couldn't care less about teaching her students anything. _

_ I leaned over to Alice. "Why didn't she just use the door?" But realizing that Alice was instead arguing with Kindy about whether or not it was permitted to use mechanical pencils in place of quills, I gave up and looked at Mrs. Wright._

_ "I have the results from yesterday's tests," she waved her hand and papers began flying out to their recipients. _

_ I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before looking at my score._

_ ._

_ ._

_ ._

_ ._

_ I peeked at the paper and saw that I'd received a 99.5 percent out of 100. How could I have not gotten a perfect score? I had already learned all of this at home, and just to be sure I had studied diligently for the past week! There was no way in the world that I couldn't receive perfect marks on it! I blinked and began tearing through the sheets of parchment looking for the one question I had gotten wrong. It was number 63:_

_63) Which dragon species is indigenous to Peru?_

_ a) Peruvian Vipertooth_

_ b) Chinese Fireball_

_ c) Hebridean Black_

_ d) Andes Razortooth_

_ I had chosen a). Apparently that was wrong. How could it be wrong? It was Peruvian! I leaned behind Alice and showed it to Kindy and she told me to go up and speak with Mrs. Wright. _

_So I did._

_ This was how it went:_

_ "Mrs. Wright," I said innocently. "I don't understand how this answer could be wrong." I held the test up for her to see. _

_ "Oh, but the correct answer is d)," she said without looking up at my poor little face. _

_ "But…the Peruvian Vipertooth is native to Peru," it made sense to me. I don't know about her, but it did to me. I mean, it was the _Peruvian _Vipertooth. It seemed to me that the Peruvian Vipertooth, that inhabited Peru, would be the correct answer for such a question as "What dragon species is indigenous to Peru." It was obvious. I had already gone over the material during my home schooling classes, just before taking the entrance exams before being accepted here into Hexwood. And I had gone through all of my textbooks and tried desperately to memorize the material so I could make a good impression on the teachers here and convince them that they had done a good thing by accepting my entrance exam scores. _

_ "Yes, but we haven't learned that yet this year." She stated, still not looking up._

_ "But—it's—Peruvian," I persisted. "And why would you have a right answer and then tell me it's wrong?"_

_ "Miss Morvant, I'm not going to change your test score. Go sit down."_

_ "But--"_

_ "Now, Miss Morvant."_

_ I dejectedly walked back to my seat and sat down in with a half-hearted _wallumpf_. Did it necessarily matter if we had learned it or not, so long as it was correct? There were a lot of things that teachers didn't teach that were still right. For instance, I don't think any teacher ever had to inform a student that breathing is necessary for life. _

_ Then again, you never know._

_END FLASHBACK_

Remembering that day, I shuddered. I looked at the Golden Trio and narrowed my eyes. Somehow, someway, it was their fault. I'm not sure how and I'm not sure how sane that train of thought could possibly have been, but it was their fault.

Draco turned to me as if he could read my mind. "Welcome to my world, dear cousin."

"Shut up." I glared at him.

He smirked and turned away.

I sighed. That first year at Hexwood had been the year that I discovered that you have to answer things the way teachers want you to answer in order to pass your classes. From the very start, Hexwood's courses are rigorous and demanding, even for seven year olds like me. However, after you're old enough to actually watch out for yourself—about eleven or so—the teachers get actual personalities and the classes are focused around actual skills that could help you get out of a dangerous situation, like the survival class, where they randomly drop you into a rugged, foreign slice of wilderness in _a _dimension (not necessarily one known to most humans, magical and non) on the very first day of class. If you can survive for a week, then you can continue on at Hexwood. If you can't, well…you're kind of dead, so it doesn't really matter if you get kicked out of school or not. I mean, I suppose you could attend classes as a ghost, but unlike Hogwarts here, Hexwood doesn't have very many ghosts around. I'm not really sure why. It's still open for speculation.

But anyway, after that first year—well, that first _class _really—I was taught the art of B.. Bologna Sandwiching, as I was once told (by a teacher who was fully aware of the stares of young children around him.) According to him, B. is the delicate art of not actually writing down what you think or know on a worksheet or test but writing down what you know the teacher wants you to say. For example, if a teacher played a song that was supposed to make you feel happy or proud but in reality it made you feel the horrible weight of the lives of everyone around you pressing down on your shoulders and the sensation of icy dread forming in the pit of your stomach, you would write down "It made me feel very happy and proud" and you would eventually just have to shake off whatever awful feeling it really gave you.

Yes. Bologna Sandwiching.

"Alright, class!" Professor Sprout yelled. "Everyone, you will take the Screechsnap you have been raising and water it, give it fertilizer, remove any extra weeds that might have sprung up around it over the past few days, and feed it—remember, they don't fancy having liver shoved at them!"

Ah, Screechsnap. They snap, and they screech. That's all you need to know.

Reese followed me through my care of the Screechsnap affectionately named Ernald sometime during my previous Herbology session and then back to my original position at the table as I waited for something to do. I briefly considered assisting Seamus Finnegan get free from a nearby plant that had grabbed him around the neck with a thick green tendril, but then realized that it would be much more entertaining to just watch him struggle. Besides, it was the Slytherin way to just point and laugh at him.

"Having trouble, eh Finnegan?" Draco yelled.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Potter said angrily as the Trio got up to help Seamus with his slight problem.

"Ooh, scary," Draco sneered. "You still think you're so special, eh Potter? The boy who lived?"

It suddenly dawned on me that Draco had somehow managed to get rid of Casey and Aron and I wondered just how he had done it. They normally weren't very easy to lose. They have a built in GPS in their shared bran that reprograms itself to whatever they want to find again, be it a sock or a person.

"Draco," I asked as I observed the Gryffindors trying to pry Seamus away from the angry plant. "Where exactly are Casey and Aron?"

"Oh, they're eh—they're over there," he motioned over his shoulder.

"Where over there?"

"In the—the lake, trying to catch a Flimplejörn, presumably somewhere near the mermaid territory."

"Trying to—catch—a _what?"_

He shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. I heard that Lovegood freak say it once. Figured it would keep them occupied for the day."

"Oh. Okay then." I turned back to the table and looked at the bag of dirt sitting there in front of me. I turned sharply around to look at Draco. "They're in mermaid territory?!"

"Yep."

"Alone?"

"Well, they've got each other."

I jumped up. "Draco, they're idiots! They're not going to understand that the mermaids will act with hostility towards them until they're already being attacked! Who knows what's going to happen down there!"

He smiled. "I know."

I grabbed his shoulders. "Are you insane? They're going to get killed!"

The look of indifference on his face said it all.

"Really?" I asked.

"Like I said, they have each other, and I've been lucky enough to be rid of them for the past four hours."

"They've been at the bottom of the Black Lack for _four hours_?"

"Well, probably more like five."

"_Five?"_

"I'm not entirely certain how long it's been. I haven't been counting my hours of freedom very precisely."

I sat down again. "You know—just—never mind. I'm just going to savor this moment and not think about it."

It was Casey and Aron. They would come back. They always do. I knew that. It was just the fact that they had been tricked into swimming down to the bottom of the lake and searching for a Flimpl—Flimpe—whatever the hell Draco said that vexed me.

No matter. They would show up any minute now, probably having even captured a Flim—Flunple—that thing, whatever it was. Some sort of large fish, I'm guessing? Maybe? Yes. That had to be it.

"Just one question before we drop this subject altogether," I said. "How did you convince them to go searching for a—a Flim—Flip--"

"Flimplejörn."

"Whatever," I hissed. "How did you get them to go looking for it?"

"I told them that it was very rare and I wanted them to go catch it. So they left."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"They just…went away? In an instant?"

"They were there one minute and then _poof_."

"They just left."

"Yes."

"Wish it was always that easy," Reese muttered.

I clapped him on the back. "It'll be okay. Don't worry."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically. He huffed and straightened up again. "Did you know that these greenhouses were erected in--"

I stopped listening to him at that point and looked at the Gryffindors again. They had finally managed to get Seamus away from the plant and most were returning to their seats along the table, with the exception of the Trio and Seamus, of course, who was busy dusting himself off and trying to act like nothing had happened.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever really get used to how funny this place is," I commented.

"Oh?" Reese asked.

"Yeah. You should see the Divinations classes. And it's always great in Potions when someone blows something up on accident."

"Sounds hilarious."

I looked at him. "You don't sound very sincere."

"Have I ever?"

"You're right. Never mind."

After class as we were walking out across the grounds to the castle, two familiar figures came running up from afar and stopped in front of Draco.

"We found the Flimplejörn!" Casey said excitedly. They were both sopping wet.

Draco groaned loudly. "And?"

"We're so sorry," Aron hung his head.

"It got away," Casey sniffled.

"Then go find it again!" Draco said angrily.

"Well you see, it was quite funny really," Casey grabbed Draco's arm.

"The mermaids apparently didn't want us around there," Aron continued.

"So they chased us away--"

"—But lucky for us they chased us straight to the Flimplejörn's cave, so we--"

"—Tried to catch it, but--"

"—It swam past us and then--"

"—We lost it," they finished together.

"That's alright," I said. "I'm sure Draco won't mind. I'd stay and continue this conversation, but I really should be getting back inside."

I left them there and Reese followed me into the castle before wandering off to who knows where and leaving me alone. I still had a bit of time before I had to be anywhere important, so I sat down on the staircase leading down to the dungeons, glad for some peace and quiet.

It didn't last long.

"Tonight," I looked up and saw Hermione standing there. "A meeting. Be there."

"Okay. Fine." I said.

"Just ask the twins or Luna. They'll take you there."

"Yeah. Uh huh."

Her mouth twisted into a smile. "You're not half bad for a Slytherin, you know."

I smiled back. "I try."


	12. Chapter 11

**_A/N Well, it's finally here! This proves that I've still got creative ability! *Clapping* Thank you, thank you! *Bows* Needless to say, things have been going a bit slowly with this fanfic. Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated. With that said, I also love reading reviews *nudge nudge* You know you wanna. Just clicky that little button and write a review. C'mon, you know you want to. _**

Eleven

That night, Alice accompanied me to the staircase outside the Gryffindor common room. Several people passed us as we waited there, giving us dirty looks and suspicious glances. A Third Year tried hexing us, but Alice turned him into a hedgehog before I could do anything and he scurried away through the portrait hole in fear. Chances are I would hear about it again, but that would be in the future, not at the present. Therefore, it wasn't on my list of concerns for the moment.

"So, why are we here again?" Alice asked crossly.

I looked around at the portraits suspiciously. Lately, there was no telling exactly who was listening in on your conversation. As much as I didn't want to be a part of Hermione's little club, I didn't want to be the one to bring it down.

"Yes, why _****are _you here?" the fat lady in the portrait guarding the common room asked. "If I recall correctly, only _Gryffindors_ are allowed to loiter here. I don't want any rabble like _you_ up here. Now go away, before I tell someone that you're here!"

I rolled my eyes. "Now you've done it, Alice."

"Done _what?"_

"Never mind." I leaned against the wall and the Fat Lady screeched in frustration. "Be glad it's us and not someone _else._" I said to her.

"I can remember when Hogwarts was a _safe _place," she pulled a little fan out from behind her and covered her face with it. "The Ministry didn't used to interfere, not like this. Something horrible is about to happen; I can feel it in my paint."

I didn't need her to tell me that something bad was coming. It had been obvious for so long that Hogwarts was in trouble that it made me wonder exactly why anyone was still attending the school. But oh, right. Almost every Wizarding family in England believed what the Ministry was feeding them. Lies, all lies. Nothing but lies.

I looked back at Alice. "I told you why we're here. We're waiting for the twins."

"Which twins? The Hexwood pair or the Hogwarts pair?"

"Do you honestly think that Casey and Aron would be any form of help of any kind in almost any situation?"

She shrugged. "They're good to use as bait if Draven's chimera breaks its leash. But yeah, I see your point. But…where exactly are they? We've been here for twenty minutes."

Just as she said that, the portrait swung forward and Fred and George appeared. They signaled for us to be quiet and led the way down the enchanted staircases and through hallways until we came to a blank expanse of wall. A door formed, slowly at first, and which seemed nothing like a door at all in the beginning but gradually became very clearly a door, across it. George opened it and we walked in to be met with a collection of students, from First Years to Seventh Years, from every house except for Slytherin.

Alice made a "Pffft" noise. "What good comes out of forcing people into separate houses based on their character? Only an oppressive system exhibiting a show of fascism would resort to--"

I let my mind wander and tuned her out for a bit. It was the best thing to do when she started on a rant like that. Only an idiot would interrupt her at the best of times, and even an idiot would know not to say anything unless prompted while she was complaining about the System and turning into an anarchist.

How much longer would she and the others be here for? Only a few days, probably. What did they say they had? A week? Something like that. Ah, well. At least I had Sev and the Weasleys to keep my heart from splintering when they were gone. Sometimes brief visits are worse than none at all.

I accidentally ran into a Second Year shouting "Levicorpus!" over and over and flourishing his wand exaggeratedly and looked around for Alice. She was still walking along, chattering on and ranting and raving, complete with gesticulations. She was throwing her hands all over the place, describing in detail the forms of governments she couldn't stand.

I realized I had also lost Fred and George. I spun around a few times and shrugged. They'd turn up sooner or later. They weren't exactly the sort of people you worried about; they could take care of themselves, at least for the moment.

"There you are!" I jumped and turned to see Hermione standing behind me. "I was beginning to think you'd skipped out on us again."

I smiled awkwardly. "It was getting a bit boring, always hearing about the meetings and never attending."

Her eager expression broadened. "Yes, well. I'm sure you've got all sorts of spells from Hexwood to show us…."

"Oh, right," I said blankly. "Of course."

I was racking my memory, trying to think of something I could teach them that wasn't too advanced and would actually be practical in everyday defense. A bedazzling hex? No. Nobody ever bothers with those. _Cave Inimicum_? Defensive spells are always useful, but it could prove too difficult for a large portion of the students here to really be of any help.

"Er…have you worked on Incarcerous?" I asked.

She frowned. "No. Personally, I don't think Harry even knows what Incarcerous is…it's simple, yes, but we haven't been using it yet." She brightened up. "It would be perfect!"

Raising her wand, she sent red sparks up toward the ceiling and everyone turned to look at us. Hermione backed away and I was left alone, in the center of the room, with dozens of people staring at me. I could hear them muttering to each other about me, about why a Slytherin who was Sev's favorite and hung around with Draco was at their secret meeting with them. They thought I would be working with Umbridge and was going to rat them out.

"Let me just make something clear!" I yelled over their whispers. "I am _not _here to spy on you, so wipe that thought out of your heads!" They looked at each other skeptically. They didn't believe me? Fine. They could leave if they didn't want to learn how to stay alive in the real world.

"Most of you already know, but in case you don't, this is Bandit Morvant," Hermione said encouragingly, stepping up next to me. "She came here from Hexwood International at the beginning of the year. She knows more than any of us. If we want to fight against…" she took a breath "_Voldemort_, then we have to trust her and listen to what she has to say."

She nodded at me and I sighed. I was hoping for a moment there that I'd be able to get out of making a speech before a bunch of people that hated me. I only wished the others were standing next to me. It'd be so much more helpful. Instead, all I had was Alice. She walked up crossly and planted herself firmly beside me.

"Hi," she said angrily to the crowd.

"Hi!" an overly-eager First Year standing next to Ginny Weasley replied. She shoved him back out of the way into the crowd.

"I'm Alice Lee." She crossed her arms. "My Grandfather is the Headmaster of Hexwood. Only the most brilliant minds are tutored there, and Bandit here is one of the greatest to ever come out of Hexwood. If you sorry excuses for Wizarding children had any brains in those thick skulls of yours, you'd listen to what she has to say and abandon all of your prejudices. That's the one thing this place has yet to run out of," she mumbled.

My eye twitched.

"S—so," I stuttered. "Uh…like they said, I'm, sort of…here to teach you. Just…think of me as a guest teacher or something." I rubbed my hands together. "I thought we'd start off with Incarcerous, since it's not too demanding and it's one of the most useful spells out there. You can use it against an enemy running at you or one that's trying to flee and stop them in their tracks with binding ropes. Come on, watch."

Half an hour later, almost everyone had managed to get _some _sort of ropes to fly out of their wands to bind something (or someone) else. I was trying to help Neville along a bit with almost no luck when the door opened with a loud _bang _that echoed around the room and Fred and George walked in. I was about to ask where they'd gone off to when I saw who was following them.

The entire Hexwood gang walked in—Kimberly, Jessie, Hadrian, Reese, Kindy, the twins, and Draven. They looked around and Reese said, "And this would be the Room of Requirement."

"We thought you might need some help teaching us thick-skulled Hogwartians," George said.

"So we brought back up." Fred explained.

"This is your student army?" Draven asked hopelessly.

"It's going to take a lot of work to get you all in top shape," Kimberly skipped forward and stopped next to me.

"This is when the real work starts," Hadrian yelled to everyone.

I smiled. With everyone here, we might actually be able to take Dumbledore's Army somewhere. "Kimberly, choose a spot anywhere in the room and start with your divination." I said to her. She nodded and bounced off to a corner. I raised my voice. "Jessie, Herbology. The dangers of misused plants and ingredients."

She walked off into the crowd and a small table with a few potted plants on it appeared. So then, if this really was the Room of Requirement, we'd have no trouble getting everything we needed.

"Hadrian, go ahead with alchemy. Alice, since this room will create anything we need, start with some basic creatures that can be trained for use in battle." I watched as she made her way to a corner and the room lengthened for her, a stable appearing. A few hippogriffs, a passive three headed dog, and a Liondragon. How she planned to find anyone brave enough to step up in front of the beasts was questionable, but at least she was participating.

"Kindy, share some of your survival techniques with everyone. Casey, Aron, go on with Dark Arts. And _don't _get distracted." There was murmuring amongst the crowd again at the mention of Dark Arts. "Oh, get over it!" I snapped.

"I believe the Dark Arts are my department," Professor Gabriel appeared out of the shadows along the back wall of the room. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"O-okay," I said, recovering. "G-go ahead, Professor." I shook the sudden chill off. "Where was I? Oh. Right. Draven--"

"Blood magic. I know." He interrupted.

"Yeah. And Reese…just…do your thing." I straightened up. "And I'll supervise. If anyone has a question about a charm or a potion, you can come to me."

Alice's Liondragon roared and a ball of fire exploded out of its mouth. The people nearest the stable drew back.

"Look, they're nice!" Alice shouted. She wrapped a hand around the Liondragon's snout and held it shut. "See? There's nothing scary about them at all."

Alice normally has a terrifying effect on all creatures, humanoid or otherwise.

I traveled about the room from person to person, making sure everything was going smoothly. My first stop was with Draven, since he was closest. He had a pedestal with a blue crystal bowl on top that was slowly filling with blood from his recently sliced forearm. A small crowd of mostly girls was watching, eyes drenched with fear.

"Blood magic is the most helpful art in the world," Draven began, talking as if he was alone. "Everyone has blood inside of them. Everyone can use it to their aid."

A girl raised her hand. "Isn't blood magic…_illegal_?"

"Is it? I wasn't informed." Draven said indifferently. "If you're really so concerned about playing by the rules, you shouldn't be here."

I smiled to myself and continued on to Kimberly in her corner. She was staring dreamily at a crystal ball on a table. I leaned over her shoulder and saw nothing.

"Divination is difficult to master," she said. "I'm sure most of you already think it's useless. People at Hexwood hate divination classes too. But everyone has a remote ability to look into the future. Even _you." _She pointed at Ron as he was backing away to find something more interesting.

I followed him to where Kindy was telling a story about fighting a bear deep in the Carpathian Mountains. She saw me and waved. I smiled back, then turned away to observe Alice. A few brave souls had dared to inch closer, including Luna. She was stroking the Liondragon's nose fondly.

Behind me, I could hear Jessie and Neville discussing rare plants. Well, now I knew what Longbottom was actually _good _at. Nice to know he really did have a strength. He wasn't completely hopeless, anyway; he was strong. He had power. He just didn't know he did.

I walked past them to Professor Gabriel and the Hexwood twins. I stopped and stood next to Potter, who was looking on with an air of mistrust.

"Enjoying everything?" I asked.

"This is illegal," he said.

"This is _all _illegal."

"The Dark Arts are banned. They're _evil."_

"Hate the player, not the game. Just because the most feared wizards on the planet use Dark Magic doesn't necessarily mean it's evil. Besides, I find it hard to believe that you yourself haven't committed evil acts. Everyone has."

"I'm not evil," he said angrily.

"Depends on how you look at it," I shrugged. "I can name several evil things I've done in the past few days, even. I'm not completely evil, but I suppose it depends on whom you ask."

"I'd agree with you, but then I'd be a liar."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "You might think you hate me now, but just wait. It'll get worse, I promise."

Regrettably, the Hexwood gang left only a few days later, just as predicted. In those few days, extra DA meetings were held with hopes that people would learn more than enough to be able to fend for themselves over Christmas break. The holidays approached quickly, and only two weeks later I was on the train back to Platform Nine-and-three-quarters. I walked back and forth from Draco and the others for the first half of the trip, got tired, and ended up staying in a compartment with Luna and the twins. We bought sweets every time the cart went by and played several small games of exploding snap.

When we finally reached the station, I found Draco and together we spotted Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa. We traveled to the Malfoy estate (apparition—never mind that Draco didn't have his license) and after being fussed over by Aunt Narcissa I was finally allowed to sleep in peace in a guest room.

In the morning, after I'd managed a small breakfast, I went by fireplace to my own home. As I stepped out into the familiar sitting room of the mansion, I was smothered by a hug from my mother.

"Bandit, I've missed you so much!" she said as she crushed me. Finally, she stepped back to look me over. "How have you been? How's Hogwarts? Did you have a good birthday? I heard the Ministry's been interfering--"

"Give the girl a chance to breathe, darling." Father put a hand on her shoulder.

"I've been fine," I said. "Hogwarts is fine too. My birthday was wonderful. And yes, the Ministry is interfering. They've put a woman named Umbridge in Defense Against the Dark Arts and she's taking over everything, but it's all right. I've got everything under control." For now.

After a few hours, they resumed their natural cold, pureblood-parents characters and my worried mind was put at ease. I had begun to start worrying that there was something seriously wrong with them; they never fretted like that. I was suspicious that it was actually a couple of aurors with polyjuice potion masquerading as Nomen and Aestevia, but I highly doubt that aurors would have been able to go so long without giving the house elves a break. I could be wrong, and I probably was about that, but there was something about them that just told me it was actually my mother and father.

It was nice being at home again, away from all of the worries of Hogwarts. No Pansy Parkinson to argue with, no Umbridge to dread speaking with, no big-headed Ronald Weasley to roll my eyes at. I was almost going to miss them over break, I could just feel it.

_No you don't, _I reminded myself. _This is holiday break. Time to relax and get away from things. Christmas is almost here. It's lovely when the house elves begin caroling, isn't it?_

Last year, when I came home from Hexwood for break, the house elves began singing carol after carol on Christmas Eve during dinner and continued on throughout the rest of the night until Christmas Day finally arrived and they were given the day off.

I almost considered telling my parents about Dumbledore's Army, but then decided against it. I trusted them, of course; they were my parents. They would never let anything slip intentionally. It was the unintentional bit I was worried about. Even though the Malfoys had disowned Father, they were still on speaking terms. What if he told them? I honestly couldn't be sure that it would be kept a secret.

Then there was the matter of the portraits lining the walls. They definitely weren't to be trusted. Who knows where they go outside of the house. No, the DA would be kept secret for the time being. I'm sure Hermione would've been proud of me, since I was a Slytherin and all.

Oh, God. Now I was starting to _think_ like them, too.


End file.
